Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

As a public school parent and a product of the Lexington public schools, I know what good public education can do for a child. But I also know that the great public education that my children and many other Massachusetts children have experienced is not available to all children in our Commonwealth. There are shocking disparities in educational opportunities across our state and I am committed to fighting against these inequities.

As a State Representative, I will place a high priority on investment in our public schools to ensure that no child has less educational opportunity because of where they live, and every child across the Commonwealth has access to a great education and the life-changing empowerment that it brings.

Because the ability to support educational services through local property tax varies greatly across our cities and towns, it is critical for us to fix the formula for determining the local education funding that comes from the State. This funding, known as Chapter 70, is supposed to ensure a fair and balanced distribution of state education funding.

The State recently completed a study of Chapter 70. The report of the Foundation Budget Review Commission was eye-opening. They found that the current formula needed important adjustments to create fair reimbursements for Special Education, METCO, English-language learners at all levels, School Transportation, school-related costs such as teacher health insurance and retirement funds, and school bonding. I deeply believe in the importance of fairness, and have pushed strongly--and will continue to advocate--for adopting the recommendations of the Commission to increase funding and rebalance how it is allocated.

Equal access to educational opportunity also means free all-day kindergarten, especially for lower-income families. Most communities in Massachusetts now offer the important early education benefit of all-day kindergarten, but many charge tuition. We must restore the state's kindergarten grant funding program, which was cut from the budget in FY2017 so that all of our children can experience the benefits of an all-day kindergarten program.

But all-day kindergarten alone will not be enough to close our state's opportunity gap. Pre-K education has measurable lifelong benefits and is especially important for the families who can least afford it. I will fight for the creation of a universal Pre-K program in Massachusetts.

Teachers are the backbone of our education system. Attracting and retaining talented teachers is critical to the quality of our schools There is no other profession that can so change the life of a child and forever improve that child's outcomes. I enthusiastically support our teachers unions and their right to collective bargaining. Our teachers need to be supported in their efforts to ensure they are well compensated and fairly treated.

Higher education is fundamental to the success of individuals and to the continuing economic strength of our Commonwealth. Need-based free and affordable options for college, vocational and technical education are a top priority.

With a personal understanding of the benefits of public education and a practical knowledge of how to implement positive change through policy amendments, I hold education access and quality as key issues of our day and top priorities for my campaign.

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