 |
| sign from Amherst Regional |
Coming to you live today from the Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing at UMass Amherst. A number of the surrounding districts are here--Quabbin Regional brought a bus; Amherst Regional walked over--and I just hope someone told all these people that they don't take public testimony. If you're here and need power, by the way, I have a power strip at one of the outlets, so come over if you need it.
I'll post as we go. Note that they have us in what is the airplane hanger of an auditorium on the first floor of the Campus Center, so I can barely see the committee members; I'm making no promises on being able to identify speakers.
They'll start with intros then have the Secretary with the three Commissioners.
Hearing now is opened by Sen. Jo Comerford, in whose district we are.
180 years ago tomorrow, State legislature passed a law providing public education for all children (I am going to need to go look that one up)
"You are welcome at this hearing...we see you"
notes the "real time" impacts of federal government actions
"I want to acknowledge the pressure and the tension of these times"
Rep. Pat Duffy (House chair): Holyoke and part of Chicopee
"so right that we are grappling with these issues in this space"
Comerford politely asks that the signs be held along the wall so they are not blocking others' views
Rep Domb, rep from Amherst, welcoming to her district
"so appreciate your open minds and your open hearts"
Chancellor of UMass also welcomes: "this is your university, and you're welcome here anytime"
We're doing intros now, which I am not going to write about, though I will note that Sen. Comerford stopped them to recognize the Amherst Regional students who are going back to class.
First panel is the state one: Secretary Tutwiler, Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega, Interim Commissioner of K-12 Education Russell Johnston, Commissioner of Early Ed and Care Amy Kershaw.
Tutwiler: "to stabilize, healing"
values guide our work
"we do not rest on our laurels" "too many inequities still exist"
"Not enough seats to meet demands" in childcare
"navigating a changing federal landscape"
to students who are scared about the future: in Massachusetts, we care about each other "whoever you are, however you identify, whomever you love"
speaks of seats in early ed
He's now running through the early ed recommendations in the budget
"literacy skills are foundational...impact the quality of one's life"
proposed doubling literacy funding for next year: Literacy Launch + high dosage tutoring "so students can read, and read well"
"want to acknowledge school districts are facing increased costs"
fully funded chapter 70 increases under Student Opportunity Act; highest amount ever for circuit breaker ($682M); regional transportation; non-resident vocational transportation; rural school aid at $16M
"focused on reimagining the high school experience": early college
want to add new CTE seats to expand access
MyCAP: students to plan for and plot out their future; plan to expand to all high school for 2027-28
school meals at $170M; mental health $121M across three agencies
statewide, birth through graduation, framework on mental health
"have made incredible investments in higher education"
"want to maintain all of those historic investments"
"perhaps the most important element of educational attainment is to [gain] control over one's life"
"the love for each individual student" is the goal in mind
Commissioner Ortega opens with a public service announcement to seniors: the time to fill out the FAFSA is now!
"there's no denying that Massachusetts is an education state"
"want to speak to the value of public higher education"
"while certainly earning and wages are part of why students should pursue a higher education" there are other reasons: they're healthier, they tend to be more altruistic
economic mobility and other benefits in higher education: "to reclaim the narrative that college DOES matter"
land grant college of UMass: many public higher ed established as normal schools, which also opened the door for women
community college: to serve more of our communities
"traditional student has shifted in" our colleges; meeting their expectations
attending college tuition free with additional funding for books and other needs
best way to know impact is narrative from students
"need to invest in human capital" on campus
"must reimagine how we deliver higher education in the Commonwealth"
revisit laws passed in the past to allow higher ed to flourish
ensure credits are portable, can be taking from one higher ed institution to another
Johnston: acknowledge students, educators, and administrators in room
requirement to learn about civics in schools: "that learning they were meant to apply to their lives" and see that today
"has long been and continues to be a national leader" in education
"this is the result of sustained, strategic investments" in schools
"support our children holistically from early childhood to post-secondary education"
highlight accomplishments of this year: chronic absenteeism, reading grants, free school meals, full adoption of individual education program (182,000 students impacted by new IEP)
fully fund year five of the Student Opportunity Act, plus $75 per pupil minimum (which is met with hisses, first of such reactions)
circuit breaker; tuition reimbursement; Literacy Launch; adult basic education; high dosage tutoring; reimagining high school
Commissioner Kershaw on early ed: "want to lift up the incredible public servants I work with...and the incredible work they do, day and night"
and sorry, I was wrangling electrical outlets there for a minute
speaks of the increases in early childhood providers' salaries; expanded family childcare
Questions to the state:
Rep. Duffy: each of you have been involved in Holyoke, "and you listened to our community" and are returning local control to the Holyoke School Committee
concerns about the income-eligible waitlist
Kershaw: seeing increases in DCF and DTA -served families
Sen. Oliveria: "hard to limit my question to one question"
we're very much in "not a question; a comment"
"really important to point out that the Foundation Budget Review Commission also said we shouldn't wait 30 years to crack it open again"
"the current chapter 70 funding formula is not working for the majority of our school districts"
lauds "amazing things" being done in Gateway cities due to SOA (hm...not sure this is really true; they're not doing much above)
nine of his 11 school districts are facing multi-million dollar shortfalls
circuit breaker threshold needs to be lowered
switches to Ortega for question: Mass Grant Plus: is there enough funding to meet the demand and need?
"making sure that all the things that can be known are known" in distribution
"we're still trying to figure out what the impact is going to be this spring...we're just going to know more coming out of this"
Rep. Kilcoyne: highlight an area of concern for 5 of 6 part of regional school districts; "unique by virtue of how they are organized"
costs are continuing to rise: special education; (regional) transportation; "hold harmless while a very important tool...that means that they are capped at a certain rate that can't meet the rising costs"
she cites here Wachusett, which is much of her district, which I see is receiving $2.5M in hold harmless funding
Tutwiler thanks for naming the complexity of the district; understand the pain points that are felt by the funding issues; use mechanisms that are addressed as local aid
rural aid "is a shift in a direction, recognizing the pain points that are felt"
Sen. Comerford: you talked about complexities facing very different districts
"the complexity requires us to gather ourselves in a new foundation budget commission and one that tackles the municipal contribution:
A decade since FBRC, 17 years since municipal contribution
she reads local headlines: 75% of increases in education going to 55 (?) districts
SOA "a good bill, and it's doing good work, but it's left us out"
Comerford notes to crowd that
"will you lead work to open up the" funding formulas "to address the pain felt in districts across the state"
"really hoped" it would be in H1; need Governor "to galvanize the House and Senate" so "we can tackle these problems"
"can you commit at this hearing to doing this work?"
"we do not have consensus" in the Legislature
Tutwiler: "I don't want to disappoint you...but my answer is going to be the same as last year: we will follow the lead of the Legislature"
Rep. Smola: "many of us fought like hell" for rural aid
"disappointing to see that we have a level funded number for rural aid"
"in the rural part of the Commonwealth, we don't have the same luxury of access to resources"
challenge of distances to travel for school
"this rural aid number is woefully inadequate"
Want to see an increase in the rural aid, so people can see geographic diversity(?) matters
Tutwiler: very well aware of the reality of those areas
rural aid report was released when rural aid was $4M; this proposes $16M
other increases: regional transportation, circuit breaker, also impact
Sen. Kenney: echoes concerns
Kershaw and littlest learners
huge gap in after school care
Kershaw: expanding benefits supports; largest number of students on wait list are such students
"but you're right: we should talk about it more explicitly"
Rep. Hawkins: concern for admission to vocational schools (which is not a budget issue per se?)
unique programs that are working
Tutwiler: you closed by saying these programs are working; while I was raised by an educator who would not allow us to respond to a question with a question, I will do that and ask "working for whom?"
Hawkins: "we're all here for the students"
Tutwiler: respectfully "we're here for ALL of the students"
application process begins when they are 12 years old; I'd hate for a student to miss an opportunity because of a mistake that they made when they are 12 years old
Johnston: what are their interests for high school? Is a CTE program right for me?
Hawkins: "I would agree with you, probably, statewide...but not a concern of ours"
Sen. Dooner: agree with many of our colleagues works for roughly 13 of 300 communities
dude...I suspect we have a difference here in what we understand to be happening here
"I was an ag grad"
"I was a kid who didn't fit in at a regular...school" got accepted to Norfolk Aggie "and it was one of the best days of my life"
"probably wouldn't have made it in" as wasn't a straight A student (she wouldn't have made it in NOW)
out of district student tuition "set to lose"
Tutwiler: "I would say respectfully, Senator, you'd have a better chance of getting in, because that is who is getting in"
"I'm not entirely sure of the $2.5M loss"
Johnston: regulations note that districts have apportionments
Rep. Holmes: begin with what I keep hearing around diversity, equity, and inclusion
"every stats shows that when you have a person of color teaching in front of a classroom...their discipline goes down substantially and their test scores go up substantially"
what is the state doing to improve this?
Reggie Lewis Center serves the whole state, not just Boston
Tutwiler: agrees with diversifying work force; research unanimously agrees
Johnston: one of three of goals at DESE is diversifying workforce
proposed changes to licensure regulations
multiple ways for educators to take and pass the MTEL; pilot has paid off
LEEDS act has proposed further flexibility
what to do to prepare educators to be successful in the classroom
registered teacher apprenticeship program, wraparound supports
Holmes asks about how they're going to get there with the pipeline they have now
Johnston plan to follow up
Tutwiler reports funding for Reggie Lewis Center
Sen. Feeney: comment on voc-tech lottery; very very disappointed that conversation isn't focused on capacity
"blows my mind that..." student doesn't make it in; thinks "capacity, capacity, capacity is the answer"
question for Kershaw: add capacity; don't want to lose safety focus
unlicensed care in the Commonwealth?
Kershaw: levers for investment; want to be sure we're not "just pushing the access button"
majority of EEC are licensures or investigators; supporting health and safety of care
relay on community members to notify
use to provide opportunity to become licensed for those who don't know
or take action as needed for safety and care
Tutwiler notes investments in expanding voke
Rep. Pease: support for rural aid and regional schools
"vocational has already been hit" and know that it is touchy subject
"I don't know how you cannot take some kind of history of a student going into a vocational student"
"you still have to hold kids accountable" to focus and learn a skill "otherwise they're waste a seat"
driving costs: BC/BS has gone up 35% across the board this year
Tutwiler: biggest drivers? it depends, paying for the things a district needs to pay for to meet all needs of students
"don't think there's a neat clean answer to say this one thing"
Sen. Payano: appreciate focus on communities that are historically disempowered have access to programs; glad to see we are heading in the right direction
reflection the students that would be participating in those programs
connection between higher ed and K-12 programs
sharing of data from colleges to high schools
Ortega: what are things that increase the likelihood of someone graduate?
there are students who are already graduating from high school with an associates degree
"does give someone a leg up"
dual enrollment and early college "both are great" and provide different opportunities
stand up a success program at state universities as well
bring in wraparound services; have learned a lot on what has worked at community colleges
persistency increases of almost 14%
have to build that and apply to 4 year universities as well
"this is not just about success of our secondary students going into post-secondary success; this is about post-post-secondary success"
career placement, better partnerships
Rep. Higgins: public higher education affordability: support to persist and graduate
students juggling too many jobs is too often the barrier
Ortega: make sure students wouldn't miss out on resources
area of beyond tuition and fees
why stop there? Why not think about debt-free college?
"we'll have to come back to the Legislature to make sure we can increase that"
cover costs particularly for those who have the highest needs
Higgins: anything we can see to get to a truly debt-free model
Seeing more students but seeing more taking out loans and bigger ones
Rep. Kassner: financial stress on our smaller and rural districts
support need for dialogue on vocational admission; support for regional agreements of vocational schools
Rep. Diggs: "our districts should have a little more..." control over admissions (I think that was)
do we have enough students in our colleges who want to become doctors and nurses?
Tutwiler: appreciate the question
conversation starts as early as high school; access experiences with that profession
Ortega: have seen a lot of efforts to increase access to high demand professions
recognize that this is not just about investing to afford
building capacity in faculty; rigor in building out health care professions
Rep. Marsi
Chapter 70 "giveth to Southbridge but taketh away from Dudley-Charlton" (D-Ch is majority state funding at foundation, and then 4% over)
last year $104 per pupil through Fair Share; do you envision it this again?
Tutwiler: envision programs needed and lay out increases in Fair Share
don't imagine using Fair Share for this given what we have seen thus far
Rep. Kearney: common themes is special education price increases
more than 10% increase in tuition increases for private schools with in excess of $100K admin salaries
Johnston: approved special ed schools can apply for "reconstruction of rates" have review
has to meet criteria; purchasers meeting with sending districts on changes in services proposed
tuition is changing due to changes in services provided
schools draw from a range of funding services; often have students coming from out of state with accompanying tuition
parents of students going there don't feel that they're getting anywhere close to the value of the tuition charged
Rep. Sabadosa: 100% non-resident vocational transportation funding
"they've been listened to; they've been heard"
echo also rural funding; need to partner together
couple with expansion of charter school seats in Hadley, "it because even more challenging, and it creates even more of a rift"
"what can you point to in H1...that will help to ease that rift"
"schools and towns sometimes asked to cannibalize each other" what would you point to?
Tutwiler: circuit breaker for everyone
will feel that impact immediately
Rep (dang I missed it): special education teachers with lack of resources
"tug and pull between teacher, administration, and individual students"
lack of resources of parents and educators: parents who don't know their rights
wondering if administration is looking at changing how they approach special education, especially dyslexia; bringing in teachers with more resources
what is department doing to recruit and retain special education teachers?
"shouldn't be on these parents"
Johnston: starts with intervening early
make sure "cut through any of the noise that will adequately identify" students
published guidance on interventions that are most successful
"what is unique about students who are multilingual and also dyslexic"
comprehensive dyslexia training program
realize that educators are working so hard; new IEP centers voice of students and families which is newly required this year
Comerford: I think our districts want to be held accountable
every educator works hard every single day
not only to fund on an assumed percentage; state average is above assumed state threshold currently
Rep. McKenna: reached overlapping questions; on special education
impact on budgets of our local municipalities: "absolute budget breaker"
hit of every a single family moving in; pay for sports and other basics in order to
"look at in a different way that decouples from chapter 70"
one on one 24-7 aide; how does that equate to special education?
even with a full reimbursement, that's a trailing reimbursement
Johnston: first is circuit breaker, vitally important
"the last thing that I want is for families with students with disabilities is either about them or not about them"
ensure those families get what they need AND everyone is getting what they need
willingness to engage with legislature on this, but other rules that surround when tuitions are paid
Rep. Scarsdale: there are a lot of issues and passion and angst
all towns face override; all districts are hold harmless districts
agonizing over cuts that would lead to 35-40 class sizes
one of districts is working to close an elementary school
one of districts may not able to ever get out of the hole of hold harmless, citing MASC
she's citing me, to be exact
(FY26: $6.3M in hold harmless and minimum aid on a foundation budget of $28M)
reiterate willingness to work with Legislature
Tutwiler: question was asked earlier if administration would lead the way on bringing House and Senate together; more than willing to be close partners and follow the lead of the legislature
Early Ed and Care panel next and I am going to take a break here!
Local aid panel which I will put notes in as they are relevant
MMA Adam Chapdelaine who praises past action of Legislature in past years
requests an investment "that matches the promise of the Student Opportunity Act"
calls $75 per pupil "a positive first step"
such significant increases made but why still hearing of difficulties across state?
"massively needed and positive investment" in public education
multiple pressures on budgets beyond control: pandemic; special education costs; inflationary pressures; transportation; employee pay and benefits;
"And the math just isn't working"
required local contribution $1.1B increase in past four years (though keep in mind that many were already well over their required local contributions)
all other accounts supporting schools and unrestricted local aid
asks $150 per pupil increase which would be $39.5M statewide
"there's no doubt it would make a meaningful difference" (would it? I am not being sarcastic. I am not sure it would)
ask for early agreement between chambers to "provide critical budget certainty...at a time when the federal government is providing the opposite of certainty"
Mayor of Amesbury (which projected a level service budget at an 8.44% increase) lists possible school cuts, including nurses, librarians,
town manager of Stow: "an outdated student enrollment assumption" (I don't know what this means)
not adequate funding for core functions
"this formula assumes higher student enrollment" than many districts have (I don't think it does?)
"as student enrollment continues to decline" more districts will be in hold harmless (that isn't why some are in, though?)
Educator panel: Max Page, MTA; Marc Liberatore of UMass; Erika Giampietro of the Mass Alliance for Early College
Page: "we have to stop the catastrophic layoffs" in schools "and launch" and new funding "commission immediately"
"cannot rest on our laurels" in the most dangerous period of our time
"let's be plain in our language": Trump and his ilk "seek to destroy free public education"
"those who hate public education would love nothing more than to see Massachusetts...public education decline"
"we also must do everything possible in our state" to protect public education
were Massachusetts a country, we would per capita be the fourth wealthiest nation of earth
close corporate tax loopholes; use rainy day
"cannot just fight back...must also fight forward"
Liberatore: speaks of a pause on funding "that is not a hypothetical" on the ensuing losses
Giampiertro: ask that you "keep leading" to ask for increase "to keep pace with projected growth" in early college
"it's needed...it works...and there is significant unmet need"
Sen. Kennedy shouts out Worcester for early college participation
financial implications falling on Massachusetts to fulfill; can you put this in monetary terms for us?
Page: "I want to say that I will not accept this as inevitable"
"the dismantling allegedly will not include cuts"
our goal is push back on possible cuts; Healey administration estimates $2B
$500M in direct funding for public education through DESE
research division; Pell grants; other things that are gutted
significant cutting "and that's not even talking about" Medicaid
Pease: "I do not appreciate your coming here and being so partisan"
"I think you need to take a little pause about what you say in a public hearing"
Page refrains from response
Comerford: Fair Share hearing: if you could weigh in on surplus, now that we know what we know
Page: have proposal; Fair Share exceeded projections by about a billion dollars
$150M "to fix the circuit breaker" plus grant program for mental health in schools
fund more programs in public schools
UMass panel, which I am only going to cover if it catches my interest
Student trustee member Felicity Oliveira gives an excellent job outlining what it is like to be a low income student at UMass Amherst
President Meehan (speaking here of federal grants): "It's unrealistic to think that a state could step in and make up these kinds of cuts"
Nate McKinnon for community college which I am only going to cover if it catches my interest
Advocates for BRIGHT act for higher ed, especially if equitably implemented
Average community college faculty member makes on average 33% less than at four year public universities; most faculty with masters degrees can make much more at their local K-12 public district
need for additional capacity funding; free college "just switched who paid" but didn't add more
alternative measures for success, as measuring full time first time students isn't an accurate measurement for them
some who attend "never intended to get an associates degree"
Vin Pedone on behalf of the state colleges and universities
which I am only going to cover if it catches my interest
K-12 panel: MASC, MASS, MASBO, MARS, Amherst-Pelham vice chair
Bourque (MASS): each of whom will speak to
"full support and endorse one another's testimony and priorities"
financial strain is undeniable
significant cost increases in key areas: out of district tuition, transportation, health insurance
perfect storm of fiscal challenges
"solutions that are far from ideal" being proposed by superintendents to school committees
"even when an override is successful" won't fix structural issues in some cases
"must make bold revision to our education funding formula"
expand reimbursement rate for circuit breaker to 90% in a timely manner and without delay
fully fund Student Opportunity Act; "we did great work"
"it is time to look at the formula for all students"
fully fund rural aid at recommended $60M
$150 per pupil
Vice-Chair Bridget Hynes: our quiet library where we meet is quiet no more
heard public testimony about proposed budget, with proposed cuts to staff
music program, reading specialist
while enrollment has declined, outpaces staffing
"by the second night of public comment, I had tears streaming down my face"
folks from all over the state, there are tears in their communities
charter schools here expanding as student enrollment is declining
fully fund circuit breaker, and rural aid
Driscoll (MASBO): share collective frustration at questions, when answers are complex...and outside the control of the district
predicting the future is virtually impossible
"while federal pandemic relief funds have sunsetted, their need has not"
the ripple effects aren't temporary; "every second grader has only one year in second grade"
"Your financial support doesn't just fund a system; it funds possibility."
Marshall (MARS): "I'd like to believe that the eloquence of our previous speakers would be enough to move you"
cites 232 districts in hold harmless and that some have been there for decades
10 districts will receive 58% of increase
the 232 won't receive that "they'll only receive the minimum student aid" (this isn't quite the case; they'll receive hold harmless aid, which somehow never gets figured into this)
low number of bids being received for transportation; increases in double digits
need a commission: "what we can't do is spend five years thinking about it"
and need to fund, not put it off
Koocher (MASC): "in conclusion" want to raise a different issue
Congressional passage of change in Social Security; there are other items that rely on the federal government
are bipartisan efforts we can make to advocate for children
Medicaid benefits children
"if any of this federal services get sacrificed...we could be taking health services away, health services away, economic security away, from those who need it"
will need to ration services if that happens; "I just wanted to get to something you haven't heard"
Smola: "it's a tough year; there's no question about it"
chapter 70 need for reform; challenge in the legislature is that everyone has a different opinion
have added and adjusted formula but haven't done a major overhaul
would like administration to lead so as to coming together
"nobody ever comes to us and asks us for less money"
"there's nothing wrong with that; we want build on the things we believe in"
worries me to have offsets in other accounts; I don't think everyone is getting that holistic approach
want to put you on the spot and ask as we're going to work on priorities
Koocher: it argues for an immediate sitdown and strategy
could be tweaks and bandaids; "we've had some ideas about that"
"I don't think you'd be ill advised to correct the problems of small and rural districts to a strategy just to them"
revision of wealth formula
Bourque: think that you'd hear from all of us that we disagree
"we do need to get in a room; we talk around each other and at each other"
"we walked into a room where we were not believed" that first year of FBRC "that urban districts were being underfunded"
two years of work; four years of advocacy
"I don't want that timeline; that timeline was a wasted timeline for children of the Commonwealth"
Kennedy: on transportation
"we essentially have a monopoly"
"they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"
how can we help on transportation: planning grants for bringing things in house? work on coordinating across districts?
"we need to think differently...would love to hear about" how to support
Marshall: would need millions of dollars upfront
buses, drivers, insurance (gosh, sounds hard...imagine if anyone had actually done it)
Kilcoyne: concerned about staff reductions in regional schools
talking about the budgetary needs
future of next few weeks on budget
fewer choices for high school students
FINAL PANEL: the business panel
Ed Lambert, MBAE
JD Chesloff, Mass Business Roundtable
Lambert: high dosage tutoring
pandemic reading scores
early college; economic competitiveness, consistently strong results
career technical education: growing in popularity among students and parents alike
Chesloff: "for us at the Roundtable, it really is about talent"
"to build talent pipelines through educational policy and investment"
early childhood education
developing educational pathways for all students
connect graduates with employers
priorities BRIGHT Act; support for cutting edge research at UMass
federal impact: chilling effect
hear a lot of DEI (?), about tariffs, federal funding and education
was uncertainty; now is about unpredictability
Rep Kassner: government business partnerships?
Chesloff: work through the Executive Office
not every job requires a four year degree
Rep. Pease: online tutoring program, seen
federal answer really well done
Comerford: education training fund is for non-degree bearing courses that don't get federal aid
Lambert: commission that looks at affordability and quality
see students and families increasingly wanting that skills-based credential
No comments:
Post a Comment