Education

Every student in Massachusetts deserves access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for college, a career, and full participation in their community. Our education system should provide students with meaningful choices, protect local decision-making, invest in students with the greatest needs, and ensure that schools remain places where students can learn, participate, and express themselves. I have filed legislation on the following priorities. 

Expand access to vocational-technical education. Demand for vocational education has outpaced available seats in many communities. Massachusetts should expand Chapter 74 programs, modernize vocational facilities, increase construction assistance, and give comprehensive high schools greater flexibility to establish programs when existing vocational schools cannot meet student and workforce demand.

Preserve local control over vocational admissions. Local school districts and vocational-technical schools should retain an appropriate role in determining admissions policies that reflect their communities and programs. Major statewide changes to Chapter 74 admissions should be based on a comprehensive review of admissions data, waitlists, equity, and educational outcomes rather than imposed without sufficient study.

Reform special education funding. The Commonwealth should examine the adequacy, equity, and predictability of the Chapter 71B financing system while strengthening the Circuit Breaker and transportation reimbursements that help districts meet extraordinary special education costs. The state must be a reliable financial partner so that providing necessary services does not place unsustainable pressure on local school budgets.

Strengthen accountability and student representation in charter schools. Students attending charter schools should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their education. Charter schools should establish elected student advisory committees and provide student representation on boards of trustees. Communities should also have a meaningful role when new charter schools are proposed because charter expansion can directly affect local public-school budgets.

Protect the freedom to read and learn. Public schools and libraries should protect students' First Amendment rights and access to educational materials. Books and other resources should not be removed simply because of disagreement with an author's political, personal, or doctrinal views, and librarians should be protected from intimidation for carrying out their professional responsibilities.

Ensure fair treatment of students and healthy learning environments. Massachusetts should comprehensively examine school discipline, bullying prevention, student behavior policies, and the effect of mobile phones on learning and student well-being. Middle school students should also have appropriate opportunities during the school day for recess and physical activity.

Update the way Massachusetts funds public education. We should use the reestablished Foundation Budget Review Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s school funding formula and ensure it accurately reflects the rising costs districts face, including special education, transportation, personnel, and educator health care.

Keep extracurricular opportunities affordable. Participation in clubs, student organizations, and extracurricular activities should not depend on a family's ability to pay. School fees should be reasonable, transparent, and structured so that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating.

Evaluate the role of standardized testing in college admissions. The Commonwealth should examine how standardized admissions tests affect access to public higher education, including their relationship to college readiness, student outcomes, and potential disparities, before determining their appropriate role in admissions policy.

Provide effective tools for resolving educator labor disputes. School districts and educators should have access to a structured, voluntary arbitration process when collective bargaining reaches an impasse. A fair and timely process can help resolve prolonged disputes while protecting collective bargaining and maintaining stability for students, educators, and communities.

Successes  

Strengthen early literacy education. I supported landmark legislation that was signed into law to improve how Massachusetts teaches children to read by establishing statewide standards for evidence-based literacy instruction, including phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and phonemic awareness. The legislation ensures schools have access to high-quality K-3 reading curricula, strengthens dyslexia and literacy screening, requires regular assessments so struggling readers can be identified and supported earlier, and provides families with information and intervention plans when students fall behind. It also strengthens training and professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, and reading specialists and ensures educator preparation programs are aligned with evidence-based reading practices. These reforms will help ensure that every child, regardless of their community or background, has the foundational reading skills necessary to succeed in school and beyond.

Invest in public education at every level. I supported a state budget that was signed into law that completed the Commonwealth’s commitment to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act, delivering record Chapter 70 aid to our public schools and increasing minimum per-pupil funding. The budget also made major investments in special education, including funding to reimburse districts for the costs of educating students with disabilities and complex needs. I was also proud that the budget included my legislation to reestablish the Foundation Budget Review Commission, which will examine the rising costs facing school districts, including special education, transportation, personnel, and educator health care, and determine how our school funding formula should be updated to better reflect those costs. We also continued our commitment to universal free school meals, free community college through MassEducate and MassReconnect, early education and child care providers, rural schools, and additional supports for students receiving special education services. These investments help provide students with a high-quality education while reducing financial pressures on families and local communities.

Invest Fair Share funding directly in students, families, and public schools. I supported legislation that was signed into law that directs Fair Share revenues toward some of the most pressing challenges facing our education system, including helping school districts manage the rising costs of special education and making child care more affordable and accessible for families. The legislation also makes significant investments in early literacy, including high-dosage tutoring and classroom programs designed to help students in kindergarten through third grade strengthen their reading skills. These investments provide immediate relief to school districts and families while helping ensure our youngest students develop the foundational skills they need to succeed throughout their education.

Protect children from harmful social media and reduce distractions in our schools. I supported legislation that was passed in the House of Representatives to establish stronger safeguards for children using social media and require school districts to prohibit student cell phone use from arrival through dismissal. The legislation prohibits children under 14 from using social media platforms and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, while requiring platforms to implement age-verification systems and strengthening protections for minors’ personal information. It also requires school districts to establish bell-to-bell restrictions on personal electronic devices while providing appropriate exceptions for students with disabilities, medical needs, language-access needs, and emergencies. The legislation will also help educate students about responsible social media use and its potential impacts on mental health and bullying, while giving schools additional tools to create classrooms where students can focus on learning and engaging with one another.

Strengthen protections for children and families. I supported comprehensive legislation that was signed into law to improve accountability, transparency, and outcomes throughout Massachusetts’ child welfare system. The legislation creates a Foster Child Bill of Rights and strengthens the independence and oversight authority of the Office of the Child Advocate. It also establishes a dedicated DCF Education Unit to monitor and support the educational needs of children in state care and improve continuity when foster children change schools. The legislation strengthens support for families by directing more children with behavioral or truancy issues toward community-based Family Resource Centers rather than the court system, while increasing reporting and accountability for DCF outcomes. These reforms will help ensure that children in foster care and other vulnerable young people receive the safety, stability, educational opportunities, and support they deserve.

Protect the freedom to read and defend intellectual freedom. I was proud to help lead and sponsor landmark legislation protecting free expression and access to books in Massachusetts schools and public libraries. The legislation establishes clear, consistent standards for selecting and reviewing library materials so that decisions are based on educational, literary, artistic, and age-appropriate considerations rather than political or ideological pressure. It creates a transparent public process for challenges to school library materials, protects librarians and educators who make good-faith professional decisions, and provides avenues to appeal decisions to remove materials. These protections will ensure that students and residents continue to have access to a broad range of ideas and perspectives while preserving the ability of parents and community members to raise legitimate concerns through a fair and transparent process.