Day on the Hill 2016

"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of NOW. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such as thing as “being too late.” This is not time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

These words are as relevant today as when Martin Luther King spoke them in April 1967. Yes, his reference was to the war in Vietnam, but almost 50 years later, it’s another equally divisive and entrenched battle that school leaders in Massachusetts are engaged in: fighting to sustain adequate, equitable funding to ensure academic success and improved outcomes for all students.

In this wildly unpredictable election year, our list of priorities has never been more critical: Chapter 70 funding; Charter school appropriations; PARCC and MCAS 2.0; The Foundation Budget Review recommendations; Proposed ballot questions that could have a lasting and devastating impact on public schools and their students; The inability of local budgets to fund the unprecedented costs of health care; special education and the services required by students in suburban as well as urban districts who are facing the insidious challenges of poverty and diminished resources.

As MASC Past President Patrick Francomano directly reminded the Governor recently, MASC remains concerned that the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission have largely been ignored; that the administration’s public focus is overwhelmingly on charter schools; and that the majority of public school students are not significantly helped by the proposed budget. Some of our constituents have suggested that we are failing to fulfill our constitutional obligations. Note to school leaders: This is a time for vigorous and positive action.

2016 Day on the Hill

April 26, 2016
8:45am - 2:45pm
Massachusetts State House (Get Directions )

The 2016 Day on the Hill is your opportunity to call on your legislators with a powerful message about the value and necessity of public education — for each student’s future and for the future of our economy and our democracy. As the budget is debated in the coming weeks, your input and testimony is critical! Your legislators’ votes count. Your voice counts even more. Sign up today to ensure that these priorities remain front and center as the battle of the budget intensifies.

Advocacy Resources

2016 Legislative Priorities
Guide to the 2016 MASC Public Policy Priorities

2016 Legislative Directory
Contact information for Massachusetts state legislators

Division of Local Mandates Proposed Legislation
State Auditors proposed legislation to address fiscal impacts on municipalities