Implementing education reform will be the real challenge
Massachusetts appears headed in the right direction toward closing the achievement gap in its public schools, as the state Senate passed the $1.5-billion Student Opportunity Act earlier this month. The House takes up the bill next, with Gov. Charlie Baker broadly in favor.
The proposed law, which will be phased in over seven years, addressed three key areas a 2015 commission found to be underfunded: special education; teaching poor students and English language learners in areas with high levels of poverty; and health insurance costs of school employees. The $1.5-billion price tag of the bill comes on top of the $5 billion the state is already contributing to its education system and does not call for new taxes.
From a business standpoint, the right public investments in education can have a real ROI. One of the state’s main calling cards in attracting new companies and maintaining high-growth firms is its educated workforce. Ensuring all Massachusetts residents have the best possible public education will help ensure the state can maintain its reputation well into the future. Economically disadvantaged students and English language learners should be able to increase access to many of the same opportunities available to similarly talented students from affluent districts. For special education students whose achievement ceilings might not be as high, providing them with a stronger foundation can go a long way to ensure they can contribute to the workforce in meaningful ways. Having the cost of school employee health create less of a hole in districts’ budgets can help schools hold onto the best and brightest teachers.
The bill should specifically help communities like Worcester, Fitchburg and Gardner, who have lower average household incomes and more English language learners.
But, as with all well-laid plans, the real trick will be in the execution.
The Senate version of the legislation includes an amendment requiring some oversight, by having school committees develop a plan every three years to show how they are using the new funding to reduce the achievement gap between students in poorer areas vs. their affluent neighbors. The version of the law Baker eventually signs should include something similar to tighten accountability.
The Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center points out in its “Making Every Student Count” report while providing extra funding for low-income students is a major win, counting the actual number of children in low-income communities – particularly immigrants – is very difficult. MassBudget recommends districts follow the lead of Springfield and New Bedford, which have taken multi-faceted approaches to tracking these populations.
Beyond those issues, every school district has competing priorities, and each will respond differently. Having the Student Opportunity Act monies specified for its purposes will, in theory, help close the achievement gap. However, local school committees and officials need to have their feet held to the fire to ensure these goals are achieved.
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