Candidate Survey Response: Education
I received and responded to a candidate survey from Progressive Mass. In the spirit of transparency, I’m happy to answer candidate surveys from any legitimate organization in Massachusetts as long as they don’t require me to refrain from sharing the questions and my responses.
It was an extremely long survey covering a variety of topics, and it also asked questions related to many topics (see other topics on the platform details page). Below is an excerpt of questions/responses. For brevity, I’ve omitted responses to questions that are already covered elsewhere on this website.
Questions as worded on the survey, my “yes/no” required response on the form, and my additional commentary to provide clarity:
Please share your principles and proposals regarding public education.
As I started campaigning, I was surprised to learn that more than half of Waltham students do not have English as a primary language. While I support and applaud the efforts of the Waltham Family School and the Dual Language School, I question whether this is enough for a city with such a diverse student population. I believe that we need to prioritize meeting students where they are developmentally and foster an educational environment where all students can grow and thrive. More broadly in Massachusetts, we need to address the concerns about failing to teach children to read as captured in this podcast series: Sold A Story.
Affordable Child Care. Would you support legislation to make child care free for low-income families and ensure that no family has to pay more than 7% of their income on child care?
NO — I support this concept, but I would need to understand why 7% is the most appropriate threshold. Also, I dislike legislation that targets "low-income" in a way that families can fall off a fiscal cliff by slightly exceeding an income threshold - where in effect a minor pay raise can end up costing a family more money. We need to have a serious conversation in Massachusetts about how to comprehensively address the cost of child care.
Universal Pre-K. Would you support creating universal, free Pre-K, accessible to any resident of Massachusetts, integrated into the public school system?
YES — This needs to be part of the larger conversation about child care affordability and education.
High-Stakes Testing. Massachusetts is now one of just 8 states for which an assessment like the MCAS is a condition for graduation. Would you support ending the MCAS graduation requirement and replacing it with one based on completion of coursework showing mastery of the skills, competencies, and knowledge required by the state standards?
YES — I don't have an opinion about MCAS specifically, but I do think we need to focus more on outcome based learning objectives rather than test scores. I believe it would be appropriate to form an independent commission to study the current system and suggest alternative best practices for Massachusetts to adopt in education.
Charter Schools. Charter schools siphon millions of dollars for public education away from public schools and create a two-track system of public schools described by the national NAACP as "separate and unequal." In 2016, MA voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative to lift the cap on charter schools given the millions of dollars it would have siphoned away from public school districts. Do you support keeping the cap on charter schools?
NO — I neither support nor oppose this proposal. I believe there is a role for private and charter schools to play in the education system, and the evidence is mixed with regard to effectiveness of public vs charter schools with regard to learning outcomes for students.
Receivership. The Lawrence Public Schools, Holyoke Public Schools, and Southbridge Public Schools are currently under state receivership, with a state-appointed receiver assuming the powers of a superintendent or democratically elected school committee. The state takeover has not produced sustainable gains and has at times been characterized by chronic mismanagement. Would you support ending the practice of state receivership and returning power to democratically elected school committees?
NO — I would not generically support ending this practice without a clearly defined alternative to replace it. While the receivership model may not be ideal, the schools that ended up in that scenario in the first place were not ideal to begin with.
Comprehensive Sex Education. Do you support requiring public schools to provide age-appropriate, medically accurate information that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities and includes topics such as consent and the effective use of contraception?
YES
Our educational curricula must speak to students' lived experiences and recognize and celebrate the diversity of our Commonwealth.
a. Racially Inclusive Curricula. Would you support legislation to ensure that instruction in K-12 education shall include the teaching of accurate histories, writings, and contributions of racial and ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented or marginalized?
YES
b. LGBTQ-Inclusive Curricula. Would you support legislation to ensure that Massachusetts public schools include sufficient instruction on the histories, roles, and contributions of LGBTQ individuals in the history of this country and the Commonwealth?
YES — I believe that all educational curricula need to be aligned appropriately to the age and developmental maturity of the students. I fully support a full and accurate history to be taught as an important part of student civic engagement. However, any legislation would need to crafted in a way that acknowledges that all "history" is inherently subjective and open to interpretation thru the lens of the current society, and the curricula should be geared towards encouraging student curiosity, creative problem solving, and critical analysis of data sources, evidence, and potential biases in first hand accounts.
Debt-Free Higher Ed. Would you support legislation to guarantee Massachusetts residents can graduate Massachusetts' public colleges and trade schools completely free of student loan debt?
YES — I would support 2 years of free enrollment in community colleges, trade schools, and public colleges for MA residents. However, beyond that I'm not entirely sure that "completely free of student loan debt” is realistic or even desirable. As students mature into adults, it is important that they have a financial stake in their own education and growth. Also, it is important to pair this sort of proposal with putting appropriate controls in place to avoid fraud and wasteful spending by higher education administrators.
Public Higher Ed Funding. Although per-student funding for public higher education has recovered from a nadir in FY 2012, it still remains below what it was at the turn of the century. Would you support legislation to establish a fair and adequate minimum funding level for public higher education at no less than the fiscal 2001 per-student funding level, adjusted for inflation?
NO — I am not opposed to appropriate funding for public higher education, but I think this would require a more comprehensive approach than simply mandating a minimum level.
Supporting Public Higher Ed Faculty. Would you support ensuring that adjunct faculty and part-time staff are eligible for state health care and retirement benefits?
NO — I believe controls should be put in place to protect the abuse and overuse of "adjunct" positions as a form of exclusion from full time employment in public higher education. However, I don't agree that the proposal above reflects the most effective way to ensure respect and dignity for higher education employees.