- Legislators have filed bills that would bring needed accountability to charter schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Please contact your own Representative and Senator and ask them to support these bills.
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Rep. Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) has filed a bill requiring local approval for charter schools in order for a charter school to receive funding from the local district (Docket HD78) AND a bill requiring charter schools to be more transparent and accountable to the public (Docket HD3296). Click here to read the text of the bill.
- Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville) has filed a bill to prohibit charter schools from imposing requirements that are not imposed on regular public school parents or students (Docket HD196). Click here to read the text of the bill.
- Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) has filed a bill to impose a three-year moratorium on new Commonwealth charter schools (Docket SD223). Click here to read the text of the bill.
- Rep. Denise Garlick (D-Needham) has filed a bill that would require all charter school teachers to be licensed (Docket HD689). Click here to read the text of the bill.
- Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville) has filed a bill that would change a state formula that has put extra charter schools in some of the state’s poorest districts (Docket SD735). Most communities in the state have a cap of 9% on the amount of tuition that can be sent to charter schools. However, school districts in the bottom 10% on MCAS ‘performance’ have an 18% cap. But who is in the bottom 10%? The current formula is mostly based on raw scores, so a district with many students who don’t speak English automatically scores low. This bill would use student growth, giving credit to districts where students are learning fast, even if they started out behind. Click here to read the text of the bill.
- Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury) has filed a bill that would require local approval of Commonwealth charter schools or the state board must fund the school exclusive of Chapter 70 state school aid or other local funds (Docket SD1493). Click here to read the text of the bill.
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