MBAE congratulates state education leaders for submitting a Race to the Top application that today earned Massachusetts designation as a Round 1 finalist in this federal grant competition. According to Executive Director Linda M. Noonan, “Massachusetts was able to capitalize on its stellar record of accomplishment by presenting strong proposals to make dramatic improvements in our schools. MBAE is proud to have been part of this achievement. The state's business community is committed to making the most of this opportunity to address the critical challenges of preparing all students for success in college, career and citizenship.” To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE today released an analysis of human capital policies in the Boston Public Schools. Conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), the goal of the report is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these policies and to offer concrete recommendations for improvement. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE congratulates the Legislature for passing this Act to increase management flexibility in underperforming schools, raise the spending cap on charter schools in the lowest performing 10% of districts, and create a model for parents and community members to gain operational flexibility in their school. Passage of this Act is the most significant single step in advancing education reform in the past fifteen years. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE joined with Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable in urging the members of the Conference Committee reconciling House and Senate bills to put the interests of children first. We support strong provisions for charter schools and for giving school leaders the flexibility and autonomy they need to improve performance.
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With the deadline only days away, MBAE has issued a letter in support of the Massachusetts Race to the Top application. We believe this opportunity to address the unfinished business of education reform by closing achievement gaps is what the state needs to retain its position as a national leader in education. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE responded to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's request for comments on its summary of the state's Race to the Top application. We urged the state to be bold in its thinking about how to leverage federal funding to make the most progress possible in addressing our persistent achievement gaps and to strengthen its plans for dropout prevention and recovery by proposing a “Race to Raise the Rates”.
 

MBAE has urged the Legislature to keep the “reform” in the education reform bill under consideration in the House. The organization lauded the work of the Joint Committee on Education, and its Co-Chairs, to combine the two original proposals into one bill that would have addressed some of our most pressing needs to close achievement gaps in Massachusetts. After amendments in the Senate, however, we are concerned that the current version would retreat from some of the strongest possibilities for positive progress in our schools. We encourage House members to make the final bill one which will ensure a process for restructuring underperforming schools that puts children's needs above adult preferences; and removes constraints to successful charter schools as required to compete for what can be well over several hundred million dollars in Race to the Top and other federal grants. To view the full text, please click here.
 

By a vote of 28 to 11, the Senate passed a bill that combines the Governor's proposals for new innovative school models and raising the caps on charter schools. MBAE commends the Joint Committee on Education for crafting an artful compromise which provides new tools for closing achievement gaps and creates the conditions required to compete for Race to the Top. A series of amendments put some of these provisions at risk. Click the title above for the summary of these changes and below for a statement of MBAE's position. To view the full text, please click here.
 

The long-awaited Request for Proposals was issued today by the U.S. Department of Education, outlining what states must do to successfully compete for their share of the unprecedented $4.35 billion in competitive grants. MBAE has summarized the competition and encouraged state leaders to leverage this opportunity to transform our state's educational system. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE has summarized the funds available to Massachusetts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) federal education programs. With all eyes on the $4.35 billion in competitive grants through the Race to the Top, it is easy to overlook other equally important opportunities. This chart will be updated regularly to help you follow the money! To view the full text, please click here.
 

At a hearing of the Joint Committee on Education, MBAE Chairman Rob Richardson joined business leaders in testifying in support of bills that would establish Readiness Schools and raise the Charter School cap. Both are essential actions to ensure the state's eligibility for Race to the Top competitive grants. To view the full text, please click here.
 

Federal economic stimulus funding through a competitive "Race to the Top" program offers an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate education reforms to help students achieve. MBAE has joined others in urging that expectations for these funds be strengthened and in calling for action in Massachusetts. To view the full text, please click here.
 

Governor Deval Patrick, joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, will announce legislation to raise the charter school cap to 18% of net school spending in districts performing in the lowest 10% and a companion bill to establish Readiness Schools. MBAE supports action to increase educational opportunities for students and to promote educational and operational innovation and improvements in public schools. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE is part of a unique coalition of 15 business organizations that today released its report “Tapping Massachusetts' Potential: The Massachusetts Employers' STEM Agenda”. The effort was spearheaded by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable to develop a plan for the state that complements national recommendations. The coalition is calling for a sustained effort to implement the report's recommendations. At an event at the Museum of Science, the group also confirmed in a public way 180 business leaders endorsed the main message of the report, which is that the business community believes that STEM must be a state priority. Click above for the full report and for the summary, To view the full text, please click here.
 

Joseph Esposito, a member of MBAE's Board of Directors and former chief financial officer at SolidWorks Corporation in Concord, has been appointed a member of a new task force that will improve outreach efforts to the business community on behalf of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) . To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE supported the creation of charter public schools in the Education Reform Act of 1993 to increase educational opportunities for students and to promote educational and administrative innovation and improvements in public schools. In testimony today before the Joint Committee on Education, Executive Director Linda Noonan presented MBAE's position that the current caps on charter schools should be substantially increased for districts that have scored in the lowest 10% on MCAS for two consecutive years. To view the full text, please click here.
 

Teachers21 and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education Gather 250 Educators and Community Leaders to Redesign High School Education in the Commonwealth To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE called upon the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to protect the significant achievement gains of education reform from budget cuts. To view the full text, please click here.
 

MBAE endorsed the goal of transforming the Commonwealth's public schools into 21st century centers of learning. In testimony presented by MBAE Chairman Robert W. Richardson, Intel's East Coast Education Program Manager, to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, MBAE called upon the Board to clearly and unequivocally articulate a vision for the Commonwealth's 21st century public education system that, as recommended by its Task Force, emphasizes a “commitment to maintaining strong, rigorous standards and ensuring that all students are taught the basic core academic content they will need to be successful in school, higher education, and in life.” Click title above for text of testimony.
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All students must graduate from high school with the academic and applied skills necessary for college and career if Massachusetts is to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy according to employers. MBAE's Commission on Educating a 21st Century Workforce issued a report that stresses the connection between education and a strong economy and proposes strategies for high school reform. To view the full text, please click here.
 

Massachusetts business leaders want schools to prepare students to become productive employees who know how to access resources and think critically to solve problems, according to a report issued by the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. To view the full text, please click here.