MBAE Commentary - Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education

September 20, 2019

School Funding Bill Includes Accountability, Misses Opportunity to Expand Career-Connected Learning

On September 19, the Massachusetts legislature announced the Student Opportunity Act, a school funding reform bill that will increase spending on public education by $1.5 billion over seven years. The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education appreciates the hard work of […]

July 25, 2019

What impact will the substantial investment in education have for students?

From the Desk of Ed Lambert, Executive Director The state budget passed by the legislature this week will increase school funding by $268.4 million, a substantial investment in our public education system. If this, as many are saying, is the […]

January 25, 2019

Governor’s education proposals a positive step

MBAE believes the Governor’s education budget and legislative proposal is a positive step toward achieving the goals we’ve stated of: 1) equitable funding, and 2) continued reform of our education system to close achievement and skills gaps. With respect to […]

September 25, 2018

Changes at MBAE

Dear Friends and Colleagues, I’m often told how critical MBAE’s voice is in our state’s efforts to deliver the high quality education every child deserves. We’re known for rejecting the status quo when it is failing, challenging the system to […]

August 1, 2018

Legislature Fails to Reach Consensus on School Spending

There were high expectations that the legislature would act on findings of the 2015 Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) to adjust the foundation budget for health insurance, special education, English Language Learners and low income students to increase funding by […]

June 27, 2018

Increasing Access and Equity in Computer Science

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) has taken long overdue action to expand access to computer science with a vote at its June 26 meeting letting districts count computer science courses for graduation. The courses must include rigorous […]

May 29, 2018

Closing the Skills Gap with Credentials

New Regional Labor Market Blueprints created for the Regional Workforce Skills Planning Initiative by teams of educators, workforce and labor market development professionals in seven regions across Massachusetts identify workforce trends and challenges as well as growth strategies for key […]

May 21, 2018

New Accountability Regulations Don’t Define School Rankings

The proposed regulations governing K-12 public school and district accountability and assistance in Massachusetts have been under review for several months by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and include some significant shifts. The most salient is abandoning […]

December 20, 2017

MBAE Urges State to Take Action on Computer Science

Technology jobs are no longer relegated to the high tech industry. Jobs requiring computer science skills can be found across many industries including retail, healthcare and finance. Studies by Burning Glass Technologies on the digital skills employers demand for workers […]

July 12, 2017

Job Opportunities Grow, Schools Must Respond

In Massachusetts, most new jobs between 2010 and 2020 will require more than a high school diploma. High school graduates should be well-prepared to pursue opportunities in our fastest growing fields. A Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation job trends report released […]

January 31, 2017

Changes Would Weaken Teacher Evaluation

A proposed change to the state’s teacher evaluation regulations would substantially weaken them and make it harder to achieve the critical goal of ensuring every student in the Commonwealth is taught by a highly effective teacher every year. In written […]

January 28, 2016

Common Core Ballot Question Threatens Student Progress

Flying mostly under the radar in recent months, the ballot measure that would repeal the Common Core has escaped the close examination it deserves. If passed, it would have a devastating impact on Massachusetts schools, upending every district in the […]

August 20, 2015

Independence: A Recommendation for School Reform

As we celebrate Independence Day, many school districts are bringing on new leaders who have plans and ambitions for improving the education opportunities for students in their communities. The Superintendent’s job is a tough one – demanding the skill of a diplomat, […]

November 7, 2014

Business Stake in Education for US Competitiveness

At Harvard Business School the faculty leads the U.S. Competitiveness Project which is “…a research-led effort to understand and improve the competitiveness of the United States – that is, the ability of firms operating in the U.S. to compete successfully […]

July 14, 2014

New Standards Require a New Assessment

The early deadline for districts’ to choose giving the PARCC test or the now 17-year-old MCAS exam next school year has passed. As of June 30th, 297 districts have made a binding decision of which assessment to administer next spring […]

May 19, 2014

Prepared for College? Massachusetts 12th Grade NAEP Results

There is a new measure from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tying 12th grade results to college preparedness. In 2009, for the first time, NAEP reported state results for 12th Graders from 11 volunteer pilot states including Massachusetts, […]

March 24, 2014

The New Opportunity to Lead

In the Constitution adopted in 1780 and in force today, the people of Massachusetts recognized that the “opportunities and advantages of education” were “necessary for the preservation of their rights had liberties,” and directed the representatives of the people to […]

August 29, 2013

Debate Over Science Standards Continues

According to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Massachusetts’ current state science standards are “clearly superior” to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which were issued earlier this year. The Fordham report spurred a counter-statement by the National Science Teachers Association […]

August 27, 2013

Start Early with STEM

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is a critical component to developing a globally competitive workforce. Business leaders across industries agree: Investing to ensure a pipeline of workers skilled in STEM competencies is a workforce issue, an economic development […]

August 26, 2013

New York Connects Teacher Prep to Classroom Performance

This month New York City became the first district in the nation to release reports on how teacher preparation programs relate to performance in the classroom. The Teacher Preparation Program Reports, released by the NYC Department of Education, evaluated the […]