Category Archives: Massachusetts Education Reform

Back to the Future in the Bay State: Brockton’s New School-Funding Lawsuit May Be Imminent

Posted on March 19, 2018 by

Twenty-five years ago, the Brockton school district prevailed in a lawsuit that served as a key catalyst for the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, which radically changed the state’s approach to school funding and turned the Bay State into … Continue reading →

Posted in Brockton, MA, Charter Schools, Education, Massachusetts Education Reform, public schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Record Fine for Campaign-Finance Violation Sheds Light on Dark Money Donors to Bay State Charter Referendum

Posted on September 26, 2017 by

When the biggest backer of Massachusetts’s recent ballot initiative, which would have effectively eliminated the cap on charter schools, was slapped, this month, with a $426,466 fine for violating campaign finance laws—the biggest such violation in state history—the legal settlement … Continue reading →

Posted in Brockton, MA, Business, Charter Schools, Education, Massachusetts Education Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

UPDATE: How Long-Time Charter Funders Are Upping the Ante in Their Bid to Blow the Bay State’s Charter School Cap

Posted on November 7, 2016 by

On October 24, I posted the story below about dark money–much of it from out-of-state–flowing into Massachusetts to support a “yes” vote on a pro-charter-school ballot question known as Question 2. In the days just before the election, those funds … Continue reading →

Posted in Charter Schools, Education, Massachusetts Education Reform | 4 Comments

How Long-Time Charter Funders Are Upping the Ante in Their Bid to Blow the Bay State’s Charter School Cap

Posted on October 24, 2016 by

This post highlights the work of Peggy Wiesenberg, an attorney and Access to Justice Fellow working with Quality Education for Every Student (QUEST), a grassroots organization of Boston Public School parents dedicated to promoting quality, equity and transparency in public … Continue reading →

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Back to the Future in the Bay State: Why Brockton May Have A Case for A New School-Funding Lawsuit

Posted on October 5, 2016 by

Brockton, a down-at-the-heels Massachusetts town, has been a bell weather of education reform for more than a quarter of a century, ever since it spearheaded a class-action lawsuit charging inequitable school funding, which served as a catalyst for the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Brockton, MA, Charter Schools, Education, Massachusetts Education Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

UPDATE: Brockton’s Charter Fiasco Continues As Controversial School Prepares to Leave Town

Posted on September 3, 2016 by

After multiple construction snafus that kept a controversial charter school from opening in Brockton, MA, the commissioner of Massachusetts public schools granted conditional approval yesterday for the school to temporarily move to a site in Norwood, 22 miles away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Brockton, MA, Charter Schools, Education, Massachusetts Education Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Brockton’s Charter Fiasco Continues As Controversial School Prepares to Leave Town

Posted on September 2, 2016 by

A controversial charter school that was approved for Brockton, MA against overwhelming local opposition is now preparing to leave Brockton. The New Heights Charter School is now awaiting approval from Mitchell Chester, the commissioner of Massachusetts public schools, to move … Continue reading →

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