Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Education Reform

In an effort to address unacceptable achievement gaps and chronically underperforming schools, Michael and his colleagues passed sweeping education reforms that focus on assuring student success in the classroom. The bill, signed into law by Governor Patrick, strengthens the Commonwealth's ability to intervene in underperforming schools and qualifies the state to access "Race to the Top' federal funding worth upwards of $250 million for school districts implementing aggressive reform strategies.

Click here to learn more about education reform at Mass.gov

· Protecting Education Funding

Despite unprecedented economic challenges, Michael and his colleagues have accomplished the difficult task of maintaining the levels of Chapter 70 education dollars cities and towns received in previous fiscal year budgets. In addition, Michael and a bipartisan coalition of legislators from across the state launched an effort to protect local aid education funding in the fiscal year 2011 budget, saying communities need the flexibility to tackle the fiscal challenges during tough economic times. While the final budget did include cuts to education funding, the efforts of Mike and his colleagues averted deeper cuts.

· Higher Education

Recognizing the crucial role higher education plays in the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the region, Michael has been a staunch supporter of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Bristol Community College.

As a proud alumnus of UMass Dartmouth and past President of its Alumni Association, Michael joined with his colleagues in the Southcoast delegation to make the UMass Law School a reality. In addition, Michael has helped fuel UMass Dartmouth's growth in the region by helping to establish the University's presence in Fall River at the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center and the Professional and Continuing Education campus downtown.

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