 |
Chair Lewis, Chair Peisch, and Members of the Committee:
I’m Mary Ann Stewart of Lexington, pleased to offer testimony in support of The PROMISE Act, for strong local accountability, and for improved family engagement strategies.
As a parent of three, I’ve gained deep understanding of our educational enterprise through personal engagement with local PTAs, School Site Council, and as Elected Representative from my neighborhood to Town Meeting; Elected President of the Massachusetts PTA, and elected twice to School Committee, serving as Chair during the worst recession of our lifetime; then, Governor Patrick appointed me to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Knowing that decisions we make today will have a generational impact on students, The PROMISE Act is thorough and needs your support—I urge a favorable vote out of Committee.
Knowing that decisions we make today will have a generational impact on students, The PROMISE Act is thorough and needs your support—I urge a favorable vote out of Committee.
MassINC’s report released last month (Local Accountability: An Untapped Strategy for Advancing Student Achievement in Massachusetts Public Schools, https://massinc.org/research/local-accountability-2/) contributes to this conversation. As someone focused on student achievement, and 26 years after MERA, it’s past time for an infusion of state resources. This time, the strategic drive for school improvement will be greatly enhanced when communities develop accountability provisions of their own.
Punitive measures, attempting to *school* educators on student learning, are counter-intuitive and demoralizing. We should move from *all compliance all the time* to supporting educators with relevant tools that sharpen skills in tangible, relatable ways for students’ deeper learning. This requires focus, rapid implementation, and sustained dedication.
PROMISE fully implements the pillars of FBRC, bringing relief to Gateway Cities and small and rural districts. Districts that lose significant amounts of Chapter 70 aid to charter schools require provisions for relief.
Locally and statewide, we should do everything possible to engage as many families as possible so all students achieve their potential. There’s a ton of information backing this up—more than 40 years of research—but, I’ll leave you with this: One study concluded that schools would have to increase their spending by more than $1,000 per pupil to achieve the same results that an engaged family brings. That families are increasingly from diverse backgrounds and countries, substantial efforts must be made to remove barriers to their engagement. Thank you.
⸻
Image credit: A standing room only crowd in Gardner Auditorium today at the Joint Committee on Education public hearing on bills pertaining to School Finance I. ~ mas