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

Day on the Hill: Program Information

Now is the time for vigorous and positive action.

Martin Luther King uttered those words almost fifty years ago, but for Massachusetts school leaders the time is now for legislators to hear your concerns as the budget debate moves into high gear. Key issues include inadequate state funding, sky-rocketing and/or unanticipated health, special education and special services costs and the administration’s focus on the 4% of students in charter schools to the detriment of the remaining 96% of students in our traditional public schools. Your legislators’ votes are critical. Your voice is even more so!

Remember, students attend at no charge!

Building Sustainability: School Repair and Construction

A school is a building with four walls and the future inside it.

A professional development workshop presented by MASC Division IV

Event Details

Saturday, March 12, 2016
Assabet Valley Technical High School
Marlborough, MA
9:30am - 12:00pm

The members of Division IV have expressed an interest in having a program around School Repair and Construction. This presentation will include an overview of the MSBA's grant process and information about current projects, programs (ie. SMART funds), and initiatives. We will also have some conversation about what impact declining enrollments might have in the future on our districts should a school need to be closed years after an MSBA project was completed.

MA DOER will present information regarding their initiatives and current projects for repair and new construction.

Read more...

MASC and Dairy Council Collaboration on Key Nutrition Summit

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: One Meal at a Time

Join Massachusetts Congressman James McGovern, current and former New England Patriots Devin McCourty and Jermaine Wiggins and other distinguished guests and colleagues for an unprecented summit on Tuesday, March 8th from 10am to 2:30pm at Gillette Stadium(1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035) ! The program is sponsored by the New England Dairy and Food Council and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees .

The program is designed to provide school committee-school administrator teams with best practices and tools that districts can access in order to help all students begin the day alert and ready to learn. Additionally, the program will highlight successful alternative breakfast service models, as well as (and this is key) available resources and financial support to make school breakfast programs a success in your district—for your financial bottom line and for all your students’ well being.

Remember:

This is a summit for school leaders that has both budget and policy implications and long-range impact on student wellness and closing the achievement gap. We encourage you and your district colleagues to attend as a team (2-3 people) to fully get the benefit of this unique program.

Cost for the program is $25.00. There is no charge for parking and there will be a complimentary “Behind the Scenes” tour of Gillette Stadium at the conclusion of the program. Space is limited, so sign up today! Registration closes March 2, 2016.

Sign Up

The Opiate Crisis in Massachusetts: Are Your Students at Risk?

The Opiate Crisis in Massachusetts: Are Your Students at Risk?

A Critical Issues Workshop presented by MASC Division III

Saturday, March 5, 2016
9:00am - 12:00pm

Please join Division 3 at Somerset-Berkley Regional High School for a candid conversation about the opiate crisis and its impact on our schools and communities. All those interested are welcome to attend free of charge (please register online in advance).

Date: Saturday, March 5, 2016
Time: 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Location: Somerset-Berkley Regional High School, 625 County Street, Somerset, MA 02726
Get Directions
Price: $0.00 (please register in advance)

Presenters

• Representative Pat Haddad, Chair & Moderator
• Phil Shea, CEO, Community Counseling of Bristol County
• Nancy Paull, Stanley Street Treatment and Resources
• Melissa Terra, Clinician, High Point Treatment Center
• Ryan Morgan, Principal, Independence Academy

Read more...

Charting the Course: An Orientation Program for New and Veteran School Leaders

The hallmark of an effective school committee is how well its members understand their roles and the issues they need to address in these challenging times.

This training program, developed and presented by the MASC Academy for School Leadership, is designed to introduce new and aspiring school committee members to the Eight Key Components of School Leadership as identified by the MA Legislature in the Acts of 2002, and also to provide veteran members with an update on ever-changing requirements and regulations school committee members should be aware of.

The Charting the Course program has been structured to meet the mandates of the new school committee training legislation requiring that all school committee members newly elected after March 24, 2003 participate in a minimum of eight hours of supervised training covering the topics listed below.

Attendance at this Charting the Course program meets the eight hour orientation requirement for new school committee members (MGL Chapter 71 Sec 36A). This session also includes important changes to the Ethics and Open Meetings Laws relative to all school committee members.

Topics covered include:

• School Finance
• Open Meeting Law
• Public Records Law
• Conflict of Interest Law
• Special Education Law
• Collective Bargaining
• School Leadership Standards & Evaluations
• School Committee Roles & Responsibilities