Franklin Matters: "there’s a huge achievement gap that we need to close"

Saturday, October 26, 2019

"there’s a huge achievement gap that we need to close"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The Massachusetts House on Wednesday night unanimously approved a seven-year plan to pour $1.5 billion into the state’s public education system, moving legislation that has been the subject of persistent and passionate advocacy a step closer to the governor’s desk.

Planned investments to support low-income students and English learners are a focal point of the bill, which Education Committee House Chair Alice Peisch called “a massive step toward a more equitable funding structure.” The investments are not accompanied by any new revenue sources and legislators plan to ramp up K-12 education spending with existing funding streams, an approach that could imperil other state services.

A version of the bill cleared the Senate earlier this month, and differences between the two branches mean uncertainty remains over what a final bill will look like and how long it may take lawmakers to produce one.

While lawmakers last session couldn’t move similar proposals out of a House-Senate conference committee, representatives nonetheless described their vote on Wednesday as historic and a cause for celebration."