How Massachusetts Became Ground-Zero for Corporate Education Privatization

By Chris Faraone / AlterNet

What happens when charter schools begin to proliferate in traditional public school districts? In Massachusetts, where K-12 alternatives have had more than two decades to metastasize, it means millions less in annual funding for traditional institutions, and an all-out war in every budget season.

In the Commonwealth’s largest city and state capital, the impact of proposed cuts to Boston Public Schools for next year is already causing stress and anguish. Individual schools are bracing to lose beloved programs, as well as teachers and tutors, and, in some cases, resources for the most vulnerable special needs students. As charter allies boast about their high success rates and sophisticated, wired buildings, those stuck in the ailing BPS systems are in an uproar. And they’re pointing fingers at boosters of what they label corporate education reform. 

Charter Boosters Plan To Swift Boat Massachusetts Education

Laura Clawson
Daily Kos

Massachusetts voters will face the choice in November whether to lift a cap on the number of charter schools in the state, and the big money is already rolling in, with some notorious names attached:

Public Charter Schools for MA, the group supporting a referendum to lift the state’s charter school cap, has reserved $6.5 million in advertising for the seven weeks before election day, according to The Tracking Firm, a service that tracks TV advertising spending.

The ads will be produced by DC-based SRCP Media, the same firm behind the infamous “Swift Boat Veterans For Truth” campaign against John Kerry in 2004. The ads will begin airing on Sept. 20. 

“Dark Money” Impact In Massachusetts And 5 Other States

Ken O’Brien

So you think the Citizens United case only affected Federal elections?

Think again!

A new study by the Brennan Center for Justice focused on the impact of “dark” and “gray” money on local elections in six states, including Massachusetts. 

Income Inequality In Massachusetts

Most Massachusetts Communities Ignore Public Records Law

The Massachusetts public records law (MGL Ch 66 §10) provides that the custodian of any such record shall respond to a request for a copy of that record within ten days. It also provides that (in most cases ) such a copy shall cost five dollars for the first six pages and fifty cents for each additional page. If a search is required to provide such a record, the requester shall “pay the actual expense of such search.”

A test co-sponsored by The Boston Globe and WCVB television found that 58% of the cities and towns in Massachusetts failed to comply with the law. 

Four Schools To Exit Underperforming Status

The state announced that four schools designated as "underperforming," or Level 4, will exit that status after meeting their turnaround goals. Of the more than three dozen schools that the state designated Level 4 in 2010 and 2011, the majority have exited underperforming status.

"Some of the smartest efforts in the Commonwealth can be found in turnaround schools," said Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester. "I'd like to recognize all the educators and families who are providing students with a better future by raising expectations and implementing reforms." 

Southbridge Unemployment Rate Ranks 15th Out Of 351

Ken O’Brien

Of the 351 cities and towns reporting, Southbridge, with an unemployment rate of 6.5%, was tied with Hinsdale for the 15^th highest unemployment rate in Massachusetts for the month of April. Of course Southbridge has a labor force almost eight times the size of Hinsdale's.

Eight other communities with higher rates were either resort communities on Cape Cod or of inconsequential size. Five are dramatically larger than Southbridge. Only North Adams, with a rate of  6.6%, is comparable to our town.

If there was any good news to be found in this fact it was that from March of 2015 the rate of unemployment in Southbridge declined by 1.3 percentage points. However, this was accompained by a 1.4% decline in the available labor force. On balance, Southbridge remained firmly ensconced in the top 5 percent of pockets of unemployment in the state.

Massachusetts Worst For Patients Acquiring A Preventable Infection

Go Local Worcester

Massachusetts hospitals have the highest rate of preventable catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in the U.S.. According to data compiled by Becker's Hospital Review, hospitals in the Bay State have a standardized infection ratio for catheter-associated urinary tract of 1.696 - the highest in the country.

"These infections cost the system millions of dollars in wasted health care spending and are a key indicator of the quality of care in our state’s and our nation’s hospitals," said David Schildmeier in a released statement. "The specific RN to patient limits called for under the new Massachusetts ICU staffing law have been linked to dramatic reductions in these types of infections." 

State Tax Collections Ahead Of Benchmark

State House News Service

The latest tax-collection data appears to underscore the belief that this year's state budget problems were not due to revenue problems.

With one month left in fiscal 2015, tax collections are running $389 million above the benchmark used for budgeting purposes, thanks to $1.84 billion in May receipts that followed the state's first-ever $3 billion month in April. 

Southbridge Has Highest Unemployment In Worcester County

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) released preliminary February 2015 estimates that show the Massachusetts total unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent from the January rate of 5.1 percent, a 0.2 of a percentage point decrease. Over the year, the unemployment rate fell by 1.1 percent from 6.0 percent in February 2014.

Southbridge, however, experienced little of the good news in the report. Compared to its immediate neighbors, Southbridge experienced chronically high unemployment.

State Education Officials Plan To Dump MCAS

Ken O’Brien

from State House News Service

State education officials will decide next fall whether to switch from the old standardized tests to a new model under development around the country, and already policymakers have voiced the need to shift public schools' testing approach.

"Higher ed cannot do what it needs to do unless we change the current system," said Higher Education Commissioner Richard Freeland at an education forum Wednesday morning. He said, "If we don't get it right this time I suspect it is going to be a very long time before we revisit it."

This spring a little more than half the school districts around the state will administer the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers while the other half will stick with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. 

Foreclosures In Massachusetts Rise Again

Ken O’Brien

Foreclosure starts across Massachusetts in October reached their highest level in nearly two years and marked eight consecutive months of year-over-year monthly increases, according to The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.

Lenders filed a total of 965 foreclosure petitions in October, compared with 504 during the same month a year ago. This marked the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year increases and is the highest number of starts since November 2012. A total of 6,384 foreclosure starts have been filed so far this year, a 36.5 percent increase compared with 4,678 petitions recorded during the same period last year. Petitions mark the first step in the foreclosure process. 

Massachusetts Man Doesn't Appear To Have Ebola, Hospital Says

UPDATE:  A man in Massachusetts who was being evaluated at a Boston hospital for a possible Ebola infection does not appear to have the deadly disease, officials at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said on Sunday night.

The patient, who recently returned from Liberia, had complained of headache and muscle aches, prompting his admittance to an isolation ward with close monitoring, the hospital said.

"This patient does not appear to meet CDC criteria to be considered someone at high risk for Ebola and the likelihood of Ebola Virus Disease is extremely low," the hospital said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Even so, the patient will remain in isolation, the hospital said.

Mass DOT Announces Meetings On Fee Increases

Ken O’Brien

On Tuesday the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Registry of Motor Vehicles Division announced a series of public meetings on the proposed changes to three RMV fees. The changes will allow MassDOT to close a projected $55 million budget gap in Fiscal Year 2015, make customer improvements, and invest in the Commonwealth’s transportation system.

Transportation finance legislation passed by the Legislature last year required MassDOT to generate its own additional revenue to help fund future budgets. Under a plan approved by the MassDOT Board in March, non-commercial vehicle registration fees for motor vehicles will increase from $50 to $60. There will be no change to commercial registration fees. Annual motor vehicle inspections will increase to $35, up from $29. The road test fee, a one-time fee for the majority of drivers, will increase to $35, up from $20. Portions of the road test revenue will help support improved customer service for first time drivers. 

Mayors Excited About Proposed Liquor License Cap Lift

Matt Murphy/State House News Service

Gov. Deval Patrick

Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed to eliminate the cap on liquor licenses in communities around the state, and local leaders couldn’t be drunker with delight.

Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said his border city faces competition from New Hampshire retailers, and lifting the limits on licenses for liquor stores will be a “great help.”

“We have to compete with those damn conservative Republican socialist liquor stores up in New Hampshire,” Fiorentini said during a meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission. “It always struck me as ironic that a conservative Republican state had state-run liquor stores.” 

Mass. GOP Swings Further Right

Ken O’Brien

On Tuesday night the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, by a vote of 52 to 16, adopted a new state party platform.

The new section on Values has sparked controversy among members who object to what they perceive as a shift to the right that is incompatible with the realities of Massachusetts voter preferences. 

No Fracking Way In Massachusetts

Ken O’Brien

Massachusetts isn't rich in fossil fuels, but we’re going to great lengths to keep the fracking industry out of the state. Last week, the Massachusetts State Legislature's Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources approved a 10-year ban on fracking.

The measure would also prevent fracking waste-water from being treated, stored, or disposed of in Massachusetts. The legislation is moving on to the Massachusetts' House Ways and Means Committee, and hopefully, it will then be approved by that state's House and Senate.

Ylvis' Tribute (?) To Massachusetts (NSFW)

Norwegian comedy group Ylvis have followed up their awesomely bizarre viral hit The Fox with a heartfelt ode to Massachusetts.

Please take these men off the Nice List, Santa!

Kirstie Pecci

          Art drawn by: Brad Goodwin

The Massachusetts State Budget: State Aid to Education

Ken O’Brien

As The O’Zone pointed out yesterday, state aid is a vital component of the town’s budget.

Aid for general government constitutes between 12% and 13% of total non-education expenses.

But this is trivial when compared to the portion of Southbridge’s education budget underwritten by state aid. During the fiscal year at least 71% of the town’s education budget is provided by state funding.