All children deserve access to a high quality education so they can become well-rounded, thoughtful, and productive citizens. This begins with ensuring early education for every child who can benefit. I will work hard to end the long wait lines for pre-kindergarten so every child who is ready can begin school. Ultimately, a high quality public education will furnish students with the knowledge and skills they need to build a brighter future for themselves, their families, and our communities.

Teachers

Teachers are the heart of our education system. We need to ensure we are attracting and retaining the best and brightest to teach our children. We also need to make sure that every teacher has the resources he or she needs to succeed.

State Funding for Special Education Programs

Fully funding and supporting special education programs is critical. However, the state should provide the bulk of the funding instead of cities and towns. Local public schools are laboring under a state law that requires us to pay as much as 400% of the average per student expense plus 25% of necessary costs above that amount for each and every student requiring a special educational program.

As your State Representative, I will work to lower the costs to our towns and cities of providing first rate individual educational programs for all of the children who require special education. The current formula should be changed so the Commonwealth absorbs substantially more of the cost. Cities and towns would benefit from reducing the average student expense from 400% to 200% and reducing the 25% necessary costs above that amount to 20%. In addition, I will support increases in Chapter 70 and other state funding for our public schools.

Improve and Expand STEM Classes

In addition to ensuring high-quality education in the social sciences and humanities, our schools must improve and expand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes and better align the training at vocational schools, technical schools, and community colleges with the needs of the business community.

More closely aligning education with industry needs has numerous benefits:

• The likelihood of unemployment for our students decreases
• Students will have the skills and education businesses are looking for
• Students will better enrich our communities
• A well-educated workforce is a strong incentive for attracting new business to Massachusetts, fostering entrepreneurship and the growth of existing businesses

Increased Access to Public Higher Education

Three quarters of our University of Massachusetts graduates remain in the Commonwealth while half of our private university and college graduates remain in the state after graduation. We know that, on average, college/university educated residents command higher paying jobs than their less educated peers, contribute more in taxes, and require fewer government benefits. As your State Representative, I will work to lower the cost of public higher education so that no student in the Commonwealth finds the path to a better future blocked by the high cost of college tuition and fees.

Massachusetts is behind other states in supporting public higher education. Investing in public higher education is a winning strategy for every taxpayer in the Commonwealth. Student tuitions have historically been paid into the Commonwealth’s General Fund with our public universities and colleges reaping nothing in return. To help pay for expenses the University of Massachusetts and our community colleges charge students high fees. Between the high fees (which stay with the school for its use) and tuition (disappearing into the General Fund) many of our friends, neighbors, and family members are not able to afford a higher education. As your State Representative, I will work to lower the combination of tuition and fees for all residents of the Commonwealth. Every qualified student should be able to attend the University of Massachusetts or a community college without staggering student loan debt.