Educators

March 18, 2011

Student Achievement is Key to Educator Evaluation

For the past seven months, a 40-member Task Force has been working to recommend a new teacher evaluation system to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).  MBAE’s executive director represented the business community in this effort but MBAE […]
October 12, 2011

Analysis of Teacher Policies in Springfield Public Schools

An analysis of Springfield Public Schools teacher policies and practices was conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality for MBAE and Springfield Business Leaders for Education. The report found that improving the teacher evaluation system so that all teachers get feedback is critical, seniority rules are hurting new teacher recruitment, and the $127 million the district spends on compensation must be used more strategically.
February 14, 2012

Value of Evaluation: A Teacher’s Perspective

When Will started the school year in my ninth grade Math class at Chelsea High School he had significant gaps in his math skills. He is one of the 16 million children in our country growing up in poverty and, […]
April 23, 2012

How A First Year Teacher Uses Data to Drive Instruction

This post is part of series by Teach for America corps members teaching in Massachusetts schools. In my first year of teaching, I have found nothing quite as influential to my practice as using data to drive instruction. Collecting student […]
June 7, 2012

Legislature Should Act to Avoid Ballot Fight

It is good news that Stand for Children and the Massachusetts Teachers Association have come up with a legislative proposal that both organizations can support to address the issues raised in Stand’s Great Teachers Great Schools ballot initiative. MBAE joined […]
October 11, 2012

Entering Teaching Profession in Finland a Rigorous Process

This guest post by Emily Parks, Assistant Superintendent in Westwood Public Schools, is another in a series by members of the Massachusetts Education Delegation touring Finland. During our time in Finland, again and again, we have heard from Finnish educators and […]
August 26, 2013

New York Connects Teacher Prep to Classroom Performance

This month New York City became the first district in the nation to release reports on how teacher preparation programs relate to performance in the classroom. The Teacher Preparation Program Reports, released by the NYC Department of Education, evaluated the […]
March 24, 2014

The New Opportunity to Lead

In the Constitution adopted in 1780 and in force today, the people of Massachusetts recognized that the “opportunities and advantages of education” were “necessary for the preservation of their rights had liberties,” and directed the representatives of the people to […]
August 20, 2015

Independence: A Recommendation for School Reform

As we celebrate Independence Day, many school districts are bringing on new leaders who have plans and ambitions for improving the education opportunities for students in their communities.  The Superintendent’s job is a tough one – demanding the skill of a diplomat, […]
October 20, 2016

“The missing piece of education reform”

In this guest article featured in the most recent issue of Commonwealth Magazine, Ed Moscovitch, chairman and co-founder of the Bay State Reading Institute, presents a detailed discussion of a “key finding about superintendents and principals” and its “enormous implications […]
October 27, 2016

“Why Massachusetts schools beat Rhode Island”

This article from the Providence Journal, comparing the differences between Massachusetts’s and Rhode Island’s education reforms, makes reference to the early work of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education under Jack Rennie’s vision and leadership. It also states that “test […]
January 31, 2017

Changes Would Weaken Teacher Evaluation

A proposed change to the state’s teacher evaluation regulations would substantially weaken them and make it harder to achieve the critical goal of ensuring every student in the Commonwealth is taught by a highly effective teacher every year. In written […]
February 15, 2017

Our Policy Agenda

In this issue:  MBAE 2017-2018 Policy Priorities | Speaker DeLeo’s Early Ed Proposal | Supporting Excellent Teaching As the legislative session gets underway, MBAE shares concerns raised in a Boston Globe Editorial on Sunday about a bill that would roll […]
May 26, 2017

Biz Groups Take Action

In this issue:  Business Groups Take Action on Senate Budget Amendments | MBAE Celebrates and Thanks Former and Outgoing Board Members | Other Items of Interest As MBAE’s Affiliate Network and partners mobilized this week to ensure that EVERY student […]
June 22, 2017

Fair Share and Education Funding

In this issue:  School Funding Debate Underway on Beacon Hill | Other Items of Interest A Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation job trends report released this month finds that the industry will need to fill 11,600 additional jobs by 2022.  Biotech-related […]
May 20, 2020

Vocational Technical Educators Get Creative with Remote Learning

As the state moves into its 10th week of school closures, educators at the state’s vocational technical schools are getting creative with remote learning. Replicating hands-on learning with tools and machines like those used in vocational technical classrooms is nearly […]
September 2, 2021

Greater Flexibilities in Teacher Contracts May Be Needed for Student Recovery

We are starting yet another school year with COVID threatening to disrupt student learning and requiring that we adapt to meet student needs to ensure they don’t fall further behind. School districts’ contracts with teachers help shape our K-12 system’s […]