Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Early Childhood Education
The social and learning skills children need to succeed develop in early childhood. That's why I support Governor Patrick's efforts to increase grants for full day kindergarten and will work as your state representative to ensure that the legislature increases the available grants for full day kindergarten by at least 45% or $39.5 million.

Opposition to MCAS
I will work to ensure that the MCAS graduation requirement is abolished. The MCAS can serve to be a useful education tool. However, the MCAS as presently mandated serves more to stigmatize than to actually improve the educational well being of our children. The time, effort and resources currently spent on "teaching the MCAS" would be much better used if directed at an education plan that focuses on effective oral and written communication, critical reading skills, understanding of problem solving in mathematics, and a solid foundation in the natural and social sciences.

State Aid to Local School Districts
A local aid increase of $50 per pupil as is currently proposed in the House version of the FY "07 state budget is quite simply not enough. In fact, it is $356 million less than FY "03 funding levels. That's why I will work tirelessly to ensure passage of a bill cosponsored by Representative Bob Coughlin entitled "The Act to Fulfill the Promise of Education Reform" and thereby restore funding to the FY "03 funding levels.

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