just the facts - The Massachusetts Teachers Association

j ust the facts
M TA G O V E R N M E N T R E L A T I O N S
AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE COMPOSITION OF
THE BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
(H375/S269)
LEAD SPONSORS Sen. Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington) / Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington)
CO-SPONSORS
EPRESENTATIVES
Brian Ashe
Jennifer Benson
Garrett Bradley
Michael Brady
Paul Brodeur
Thomas Calter
James Cantwell
Gailanne Cariddi
Claire Cronin
Daniel Cullinane
Josh Cutler
Angelo D’Emilia
Marjorie Decker
Michelle DuBois
Carolyn Dykema
Tricia Farley-Bouvier
Ann-Margaret Ferrante
Colleen Garry
Carmine Gentile
Kenneth Gordon
Kate Hogan
Mary Keefe
Peter Kocot
Stephen Kulik
John Lawn
Paul Mark
Paul McMurtry
James Miceli
James Murphy
Shaunna O’Connell
Jerald Parisella
William Smitty Pignatelli
Denise Provost
Angelo Puppolo
John Rogers
Jeffrey Roy
Frank Smizik
Thomas Stanley
Benjamin Swan
Timothy Toomey
Jose Tosado
Steven Ultrino
John Velis
David Vieira
SENATORS
Sal DiDomenico
James Eldridge
Anne Gobi
Robert Hedlund
Patricia Jehlen
Barbara L’Italien
Eric Lesser
Jason Lewis
Joan Lovely
Thomas McGee
Marc Pacheco
James Timilty
James Welch
PURPOSE OF THIS BILL
This bill will give current teachers representation on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). BESE is the
agency responsible for implementing federal and state laws relevant to public education in the Commonwealth.
BESE is responsible for setting policies and approving regulations that affect all teachers in K-12 grades. Some of the
BESE’s responsibilities include: granting and renewing commonwealth charter schools, making budget recommendations
to the Legislature, developing and implementing MCAS, setting standards for and certification of teachers, principals and
superintendents, and hiring the Commissioner of Education.
This bill will give teachers a real voice on BESE. BESE determines many of the conditions under which teachers work.
WHAT THIS BILL DOES
The current composition of BESE is 11 members – 10 are appointed by the governor – including his Secretary of Education. The
11th member is the chairman of the student advisory council.
Under H375/S269, the board will still be made up of 11 members, 10 of whom will be chosen by the governor. However, two of
the Governor’s appointees will be teacher representatives.
■■ One teacher representative will be selected by the governor from a list of three nominees from the Massachusetts Teachers
Association.
■■ A second teacher representative will be selected by the governor from a list of three nominees from the American Federation
of Teachers/Massachusetts.
Kate Donaghey, Lobbyist | Catherine Fichtner, Lobbyist | Julie Johnson, Lobbyist | Sean King, Lobbyist
617.878.8119