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Dear Friends,
I wanted to share some great news. This morning, the
Legislature passed Governor Patrick's landmark education reform bill,=
and
the Governor is poised to sign the legislation in the next few days. =
Massachusetts is home to some of the best public schoo=
ls in
the country, but for decades it has also been plagued by a persistent
achievement gap. The promise of public education is equality and
excellence for all students, and the Gover=
nor's
legislation delivers on this promise. You can find out more about the=
Governor's
education reform agenda here, but =
its four
key components are:
· =
Intervention=
-
Superintendents of under-performing schools will be required and
empowered to develop "innovation plans" collaboratively with
local stakeholders. This is part of a more aggressive intervention
strategy on behalf of children caught in under-performing schools.
· =
Innovation=
=
- The
legislation enables all school districts in the Commonwealth to estab=
lish
new "Innovation Schools.” These Innovation Schools will
replicate the best aspects of charter schools within traditional scho=
ol
districts by allowing for enhanced autonomy and flexibility.
· =
Charter School "Smart
Cap" Lift - The legislation raises the cap on
charter schools in the state's lowest performing districts. This will
give our neediest students more options.
· =
Race to the Top=
- The
legislation will make Massachusetts eligible to receive federal
“Race to the Top” funding, which could bring the state mo=
re
than $250 million in federal funding for education.
Quite simply, this bill will improve public education =
for
students across the Commonwealth, and is one of Governor Patrick's
biggest legislative achievements. Education is one of the Governor's =
top
priorities. Despite the economic downturn and multiple budget shortfa=
lls,
Governor Patrick has protected critical funding for our schools and
pushed for aggressive reforms. By giving all students the opportunity=
to
achieve their full potential, the Governor is ensuring that Massachus=
etts
will come out of the economic downturn faster and stronger than the r=
est
of the country.
Sincerely,
Sydney Asbury
Campaign Manager
Deval Patrick for Governor 2010
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![3D"Governor](3D"edreform_files/image001.gif")