Further Education Reform in Massachusetts

Although its already being criticized for its failure to promote charter schools, its lack of a funding plan and its inclusion of in-state benefits for undocumented immigrant students, I like the Education Action Agenda announced by Governor Deval Patrick this week.


Moving toward a system of free access to community college or equivalent trade training makes sense in this age of information and technology. To me, it's a logical extension of the free education through high school that Massachusetts has been providing to its residents for over 100 years.


The funding of this move will be challenging, but I believe could be worked out through a restructuring of local aid and consolidation of school districts, as well as contributions from the myriad private institutions in the Commonwealth (who would arguably benefit because of the expanding pool of possible students it would create for them).


On the issue of undocumented immigrant students, if such students have demonstrated a commitment to their education and have been productive in their studies in Massachusetts high schools, then it seems to me they would be more of a resource than a burden to our taxpayers. According to yesterday's press release, this is also the thinking of the Patrick administration which said the plan is to:

"allow children of undocumented immigrants to attend a public college or university in the Commonwealth at the in-state tuition rate (ONLY) if they have attended Massachusetts’ schools, passed the MCAS, received a high school diploma and are on a path toward citizenship"

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=080625_education_reform3&csid=Agov3

See also:
"Patrick's Plan for Education," by Scott Lehigh in the 6/25/08 Boston Globe and
"The education reform gamble" by Joan Vennochi in the 6/26/08 Boston Glove