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Massachusetts Blog

Boston’s Next Mayor to Speak on Education

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Posted by Brandy F. Oakley, Boston Director on May 23, 2013

In 4 short months, the city of Boston will hold a primary election for the seat of mayor. For the first time in over 20 years, the mayoral race is an open seat election. This means that the person who last held the office will no longer run for the position.

Senate to debate state budget next week

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Posted by Ranjini Govender, J.D., Ph.D., Policy Director on May 16, 2013

The Senate released its proposal for the FY2014 budget yesterday. Senators have until Friday, May 17th to file amendments; debate will begin next week.

The Senate proposal represents an increase of $1.4 billion (about 4.4%) over the FY2013 budget. In education-related spending, the Senate proposal increased funding to combat the early childcare waitlist and increased general Chapter 70 local aid, but falls short on extended learning time spending and higher education.  

Specifically, the Senate proposal:

Lifting the Charter Cap

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Posted by Sam Castañeda Holdren, Marketing and Communications Director on May 15, 2013

Momentum is building around our latest efforts to improve public schools and ensure all children have access to an excellent education.

The Latest in Springfield

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Posted by Luz Lopez, Springfield Organizer on May 8, 2013

The Springfield Chapter has continued to grow and engage more parents, educators and community members in advocating for the best education for children in Springfield and across the state. We are excited to currently have more than 130 active members in the Springfield Chapter. Since January, we have created two new full teams.

Lawmakers Urged to Stay on Task with Ed Reform

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Posted by State House News on May 7, 2013

Three years after passing a major education reform bill, lawmakers on Tuesday found themselves in the familiar position of hearing from other elected leaders, school administrators and education advocates that more can and should be done to improve struggling schools with longer-school days, more management flexibility and expanded access to charter schools.

House FY2014 Budget Proposal Compared to the Governor’s Proposal

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Posted by Ranjini Govender, J.D., Ph.D., Policy Director on May 2, 2013

Last week the House of Representatives finalized its proposal for the FY14 budget. The budget adopted by the House of Representatives acknowledges the importance of giving all our kids access to college, and invests in strategies to ensure they are ready when they get there. While we are grateful the House version of the budget makes some important education investments, there is still more work to be done on behalf of our children. The state Senate will now begin deliberations and is expected to vote on the budget in May.

VOTE in Boston’s Special Primary Election

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Posted by Brandy F. Oakley, Boston Director on April 29, 2013

On Tuesday, April 30th we have a special primary election in the Commonwealth on both the national and local stage. Many of us know the tremendous amount of power our elected officials have in making laws and policies that ideally have our best interests at heart. Elected officials, however, do not make these decisions in isolation.  It is up to each one of us to do our part – our civic duty to vote. 

Our children can’t afford to wait

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Posted by Maggie Paynich, Worcester Organizer on April 25, 2013

On April 4, 2013, Stand for Children Massachusetts members from the Worcester Chapter traveled to Beacon Hill for Stand’s 2013 Week on the Hill.

Ahmed, a Stand member from Worcester, gave a moving testimonial about the challenges of underperforming schools in his community. He began by talking about why we were all there at the State House:

Stand for Children Massachusetts Congratulates Boston Superintendent Johnson on Retirement, 6 Years of Service

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Posted by Brandy F. Oakley, Boston Director on April 24, 2013
Brandy F. Oakley, Esq., Boston Director of Stand for Children Massachusetts, issued the following statement today in response to Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson’s announcement that she will retire at the end of this academic year:

Beginning My Story with Stand

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Posted by Kathryn Alexander, Field Manager on April 24, 2013

My father was the Mother Goose of my childhood. On long car trips and before bed, my sisters and I listened to stories of my father’s assimilation growing up in an Italian immigrant community in Massachusetts. In his fairy tales, the thorn covered walls he faced were language barriers and ethic discrimination in the classroom. Most transformative to my upbringing, my father eventually found happily ever-after in educational achievement.

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