Tuesday, July 26, 2022

New Board of Ed members incoming

 ...and thus the reason for the postponed meeting!
You might remember that the Board of Ed postponed their decision regarding the MCAS graduation requirement--the competency determination--from their June meeting to a July meeting (which doesn't usually happen). Such a meeting had been posted for Monday, and then cancelled. 
Today, State House News Service discovered what had happened:

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sent notice Friday afternoon that the board was to hold a special meeting Monday at 9 a.m. to discuss, among other topics, changes to the district and school accountability system for 2022. A little after 8 p.m. Friday, the department sent an updated notice saying Monday's meeting would be rescheduled without providing an explanation for the change. A DESE official subsequently informed the News Service that the terms for two board members -- Vice Chair James Morton and Amanda Fernández -- expired June 30 and that the appointment of their replacements was being finalized. 

To answer some of the usual questions:

  • Yes, this is Governor Baker's appointment: the Governor appoints members to the Board of Ed.
  •  Yes, these members of the Board will serve after Governor Baker's term is done. Board of Ed members' terms are intentionally, by state law, non-coterminous with the Governor's term (with the exception of the Secretary, and the position of the Board Chair). 
  • No, these aren't particular seats: the parent, labor, business seats are all already occupied. 

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