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| awaiting the opening of the gallery |
You can watch the session here. The bill (H.4137) is here.
I will warn you that I cannot identify most House members by sight or voice. Sorry.
posting as we go
Rep. Peisch: bill is result of countless hours of meetings and hearings
since 1993, "have risen to the top of the country and arguably the world"
overwhelming majority of districts responded to increase in health insurance by appropriating more
districts that could not, cut other sectors
finds are consistent with findings of original act
thus "bulk of the funding of the bill is directed at our poorest communities"
leveling the funding was seen as making the difference in 1993
to some extent that was true, as our low income students outperform other states
not just in classroom, but differences from the day they were born
"more than just equivalent experiences in the classroom" needed
"I hope and expect that we will move to a system" where the schools are not left to make the difference
but in the meantime "this is a good start"
she's now running through the non-FBRC sections
bill "does not have an answer for every" issue facing Massachusetts
thus rural schools study
task force on municipal wealth
Thanks Speaker DeLeo, Senator Lewis, the education committee, Ways and Means
thanks the members of the FBRC, singling out Senator Chang-Diaz and the AFT rep
and all those who testified and those who have supported it over time
Peisch exits to applause
In making his appointement to the Commission, the Speaker said "it has to be about the kids"
"will especially be helpful in districts like mine in Boston"
circuit breaker, charter school reimbursement, 3 year plan to DESE
Ferguson: was the minority rep to the Commission
"not a week goes by" that this doesn't come up in conversation
"a strong bipartisan commitment to education"
"ask that you join me in voting in favor...for all students of the Commonwealth"
amendment 55: Hawkins of Attleboro
career changer from business
"people who haven't done that don't know what it's like in the classroom"
local districts have to have the ability to meet the needs of their students
"we need to have local accountability; it needs to be the driver of what we do"
what we do in my district doesn't need to be what the district next door does
Wagner of Chicopee: opposition to the amendment
"think the gentleman is well-intentioned in the amendment"
bill as considered is consistent with what was reported out of Joint Education
"at the level of the Joint Committee, there was consensus"
"proposes changes that take some of the teeth out of the accountability"
"I think [the Commission] would likely come down where the House has come down"
he is incorrect; they had this conversation and discarded this argument
investment of $1.5B
Provided the Commissioner can make changes in plans
"I think that's part of...what we should expect for an investment of $1.5B"
"I think the taxpayers of Chicopee" would want me to support that
the taxpayers of Chicopee largely are not who fund the Chicopee public schools
"as a parent I provide more of the resources of the vehicle than [my children] do"
"I think that when I provide the car and the access to it, as a parent, I should reasonably expect accountability"
"we are the most generous state in the nation when it comes to state taxpayer dollars when it comes to school buildings"
I don't know that this is true
"we've enhanced and enriched the level of resources we can provide" in the Mass School Building Authority
Vargas of Haverhill
"I certainly appreciate the intention behind this amendment"
"my wife is an educator and I think educators are going straight to heaven"
"I think that people in their local communities know best"
during his time on City Council witnessed entrenched power can divert funding
classroom size of 40 in the poorest precinct; next door it was under 30
"we should assume each district has leadership that is just" but "as good stewards, we should verify"
"I am honest that there is not one person of color who is in elected office in Haverhill"
"how can we assume that local control can get it right every time?"
average local turnout is 18%...which is why we need local accountability provisions
DESE cannot take away from district
"accountability means different things to different people"
95% of school district invest more money in their schools than Haverhill
"and this body should not wait"
AMENDMENT 55 WITHDRAWN by Hawkins
recess
Hay of Fitchburg: ask for your support for the bill
"for fifteen campaigns...I have stated that I am an advocate for education"
"we've all heard many quotes or sayings related to education...due to the current funding of education, these statements do not ring true"
"Today we have an opportunity to truly level the playing field"
that was his first speech ever, so he is greeting with enthusiastic applause
Nguyen of Andover (first speech)
"an aptly named bill"
"Massachusetts paved the way"
Adams included in the Constitution
"was and still is necessary for our continued prosperity"
references her own family history
"my parents said we had to come to Massachusetts because they had the best education"
nice round of applause for her parents there
"while some may look at spending as numbers on a spreadsheet, we as legislators have to look as" people having opportunities
"education allowed me to dream big and what brought me here today, the very first Vietnamese-American to hold office" in the chamber
"every child in Massachusetts deserves a fair shot"
"will not only make funding more equitable, it will benefit all communities"
health care, special education costs
"I would be remiss if I did not thank the people who gave me this opportunity to stand before you"
"I urge you to join me in voting in favor of this bill"
"a education system that is free for all and works for all"
"it is an investment in our collective future"
and likewise, applause
Haggerty of Woburn in support of the bill
"I am proud to join you in this historic day"
"to ensure that Massachusetts remains a national leader"
this "tells parents, tells teachers, and most importantly, it tells the next generation that funding reform will not wait another year"
"proud to live in a state that evaluates how well we" educate "and works to change it"
"see, today there's a second grade kid in my district learning about odd and even numbers or learning about capital letters"
they have no idea that we're debating this important piece of legislation
"the world has changed and the responsibility we have for our youth must change with it"
"preparing our kids for jobs that don't even exist yet"
"we are playing the short and the long game" when it comes to education
"each year there are school committees across the state making difficult decisions"
"it's a big win for students"
closes with a quote from Mann: "Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen."
(it turns out this is actually from a prayer in the U.S. Senate by Peter Marshall in 1948)
and applause
amendment 6 not adopted, as is amendment 61
withdrawn:11,12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 42, 48, 53, 55 (after debate), 56, 63, 65, 66
amendment 62: Sullivan of Abington
"most of us know more is needed...amendment 62 does more"
bumps the per pupil to $50/pupil
total impact will be $19M
Peisch: this is increasing the minimum aid from $30 in the bill
Chapter 70 does not establish a minimum, the bill does
"the minimum aid is only for those communities is only for those when you run the formula, they don't qualify for any increase"
$30/pupil "a very generous amount"
Garry from Dracut
"I'm looking at my numbers for my communities, and it's very very difficult to look at these numbers"
refer to traditional public schools as "what's left over schools" because everything else comes out first
"the vast amount of funding goes to our cities"
Garlick of Needham: rise in opposition to this amendment
"the very purpose of Chapter 70 is to provide...progressive" support to school districts
"it may constrain our ability" to fund the very reason for this legislation
urge a vote of no
AMENDMENT 62 is NOT ADOPTED
amendment 36: Kearney for reimbursement for the transition to full day K
would reestablish the Commonwealth's grant program for establish and maintain free all day kindergarten
grant "allowed for access to early education opportunity"
in 2016, the state budget eliminated the program
17% of districts left without full day K
loss of funding caused class sizes to increase, loss of paraprofessionals, and other cuts
currently 38 districts that don't offer these early education opportunities to their residents
goal is to reestablish the grant program to allow all children to access free all day kindergarten
asks for a roll call on the vote
Peisch: program started in 2001
program ended when over 80% were offering full day K
was intended to be transitional; many districts came to rely upon it
those districts that were not offering full day programs were doing so for reason related to their districts
they tended to be districts that have the capacity to do so and choose not to
Kearney who immediately references the average household income of Wellesley
districts that did not access the program and would like the opportunity
"there were districts that without the program tried to make it happen"
"now is the time to bring all day kindergarten to all children in Massachusetts"
roll call
amendment fails
RECESS
Amendments that have now also been withdrawn: 1, 29, 30, 44
Rep. Ferrante
"I'm not embarrassed to say that I come from a fishing community"
(she reps Gloucester)
"there are times that there is income, and there are times when there is no income"
"we thought it was a generous Italian gesture to have people over for dinner"
but later realized it was because there wasn't enough money at that time to feed the family
when there was work, people were busy
can go to graduations where as many as 25% of students don't know what they're going to do the day after graduation
when we're putting money into mental health and into guidance counselors, we're giving students a chance to figure out what they're doing the day after graduation
bill is part of a "pathway to an American dream that they can all be proud of"
RECESS
Elugardo: particularly thanks Rep Keefe and Rep Vega (who proposed the Promise Act)
speaks of unlikelihood of me being here
went to eight different schools before high school
moved here at 17 already had a commitment to equity
always show kids the Constitution and always show them where the section on education
asks kids if they have an education the same as kids the same other places
"incredible work that was done to ensure that every kid across the Commonwealth, especially kids in the lowest income, have access to" an education
applause...apparently another first speech
Hendricks of New Bedford: (note that he had submitted and now has withdrawn two amendments regarding charter schools)
"provides a monumental boost" to districts like his
two large charter schools without appropriate levels of reimbursement
expansion of charter put city "at each others' throats"
"we are here to solve all these problems today
notes commitment to full charter reimbursement
"commitment to saving our cities and towns from financial ruin"
"a kid educated in New Bedford...serves all of those across the Commonwealth"
to applause...we really are seeing many first speeches today
Carey of Easthampton
when he announced his candidacy eighteen months ago, he set a goal of updating the outdated education funding formula
"frankly, Mr. Speaker, I'm surprised at how quickly I got it done" (to laughter)
former member of the Easthampton School Committee
thanks Speaker for appointing him to education committee and for putting him in his grandfather's seat in the chamber
because "it is the right thing to do...it is the smart thing to do...and it is the time to do it."
"history has taught us not to be complacent"
implore that those whose districts will not directly benefit "to look closely"
children supported may find fulfillment through their educations
"Today, Mr. Speaker, we fund miracles."
by cherishing their education (as the Constitution demands), "we cherish the children of this Commonwealth"
applause: another first speech
AMENDMENT UPDATE: withdrawn: 7, 8, 15 (dang), 17, 18, 47
amendment 25 from Gouveia which would reconsider every 5 years rather than every 10
"much excitement and optimism"
parallel with the U.S. Census which asked for more timely information to improve more timely information
set us up to make midcourse corrections
"put us in a better direction"
WITHDRAWS amendment
AMENDMENT UPDATE: withdrawn 28, 54, 67
Farley-Bouvier rise in support
to Peisch puts together legislation we can all stand behind
to Keefe and Vega "your courage to stand up and step out for Gateway Cities" is admirable
gratitude to reps whose districts "do not benefit"
embrace that it is not a child's zip code that should determine the quality of their education
"yes, it costs more to educate a child who comes from economic disadvantage and it is expotentially more difficult" when there is concentration of poverty
Pittsfield "has stepped up over and over again"
"they spend $14M over net school spending"
"we have more work to do especially when it comes to charter schools"
as funding increases, there is more opportunity for charters to take advantage
today should be proud
Rep Keefe is up
"to sing the praises" of the bill
"we know this bill in particular took some real digging" and so she thanks Peisch
MCI Concord: turning point in lives when they started down the wrong path; coincided when they were struggling in school
one "never truly learned how to read and write until he was incarcerated"
"finding hope in education while a prisoner"
"education is one of the most important tools we have to combat poverty and generational trauma"
"I look forward to the next chapter of the Worcester Public Schools"
thanks Vega
thanks colleagues for work to understand Chapter 70 funding, for having compassion for other districts
"we have kept our eyes on the prize"
Sabadosa on amendment 5
calls the bill "a beautiful piece of social justice"
her district includes two regional schools
"was struck by the stories of what rural transportation looks like"
buses travel hundreds of miles, students on the bus for upwards of an hour
"for small towns with aging population, there will come a time where there is nothing left to cut"
hopes that it will be addressed in future conversation, "in hopes that it will result in more robust debate in the near future"
WITHDRAWS amendment 5
Rep Vega:
speaks of his father who failed first grade because he did not speak English
silver lining to the failed bills is the bill today, as it makes investment in communities like his
one of the reasons Holyoke is in receivership is years of underfunding
thanks those who signed on with the Promise Act despite the pressure not to do so
"there's still more work to do the ensure that Massachusetts stays number one in public education"
his son is in a dual language program in the Holyoke public schools
believe the bill will help all of the children in the Commonwealth
AMENDMENT UPDATE:withdrawn 4, 9, 10, 26, 31, 39, 45, 51, 57, 69
LeBoeuf on amendment 58
to take care of those most vulnerable students
amendment to track those most vulnerable
filed because of a particular student in his district
eight year old was acting out; in two weeks, "she had been in a different home every night"
"how can anyone achieve your educational goals where you don't know where you're sleeping that night?"
work to improve our foster care system is ongoing
withdraws amendment
amendment 3 ADOPTED (that's rural schools)
amendment 33 from Rep. Hill
about students who move midyear; it would require that the district in which a student starts funds their special ed for the year.
has been told it is a new issue, thus withdraws the amendment
33 WITHDRAWN
Frost on amendment 46
"which rests on an issue of hold harmless"
seeking to add to the hold harmless in the bill, wishes to allow percentage the state gives in 2020 to hold if that is higher
amendment fails
amendment 41ADOPTED (mandate commission)
amendment 37 MSBA ADOPTED
amendment I missed on there
Cabral of New Bedford: rise in support
voted in favor of the 1993 reform "and I would be delighted and happy to vote...in support of this piece of legislation"
believe issues on charter financing will be done in the future
"it doesn't have to be my amendment, it doesn't have to be amendment of others"
"today the fight is about chapter 70 as well"
withdraws amendment 49
SUSPENSION OF THE RULES to continue to meet after 9 pm
passes
moment of silence in honor of Brian O'Connell
Rep Tyler of Boston:
trying to close the achievement gap
"we must hold ourselves accountable for our students' needs"
"makes a huge investment in our low income and ELL students"
positive results for our most vulnerable students
figure out what programs work best for our students
AMENDMENT 59 ADOPTED as changed
NO AMENDMENTS REMAINING
On a roll call vote, the bill is passed 155-0. There is not a single no vote.
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