Massachusetts Board of Education

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'The Massachusetts Board of Education' (BOE) is responsible for interpreting and implementing laws relevant to public education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Public education in the Commonwealth is organized according to the regulations adopted by the BOE, which are good faith interpretations of Massachusetts state and federal law. The BOE’s responsibilities include: granting and renewing charter school applications, developing and implementing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), submitting yearly budget proposals for public education to the State Legislature, and monitoring - as well as intervening to ameliorate - the achievement of underperforming districts in the Commonwealth.

1 History
2 Composition
3 Advisory Councils
4 Student Membership
5 Current Members
6 Former Members
7 References
8 External Links

[edit] History

The BOE was established in 1837 and is the oldest State Board of education in the United States. Then Governor Edward Everett had recommended the establishment of a board of education in his address to the 1837 legislature's opening session. The legislature's Committee on Education, led by Senate chairman Josiah Quincy, Jr. and House chairman James G. Carter, sponsored a bill which was initially soundly defeated in the House. Largely as a result of efforts by Mr. Carter, the bill was eventually passed. Horace Mann, President of the Massachusetts State Senate at the time, was appointed the board's first Secretary.^[1]

[edit] Composition

The BOE is composed of nine members, eight of which are appointed by the governor and one which is elected by the public school students of Massachusetts. The nine voting members are: "the chairman of the student advisory council; the chancellor of higher education, one representative of a labor organization selected by the governor from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO; one representative of business or industry selected by the governor with a demonstrated commitment to education; and five additional members selected by the governor." [1] The chairperson of the BOE is appointed by the governor. The secretary of the BOE must be approved by a two thirds vote and serves at the Board's pleasure as the chief executive officer, the Chief State School Officer for Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Commissioner of Education. The commissioner attends BOE meetings, but does not vote. He is responsible for managing the Massachusetts Department of Education and receives a salary which is determined by the Board. [2]

[edit] Advisory Councils

A number of Advisory Councils, created by Chapter 15: Section 1G of the General Laws of Massachusetts, support the Board with research, recommendations and - in the case of the Student Advisory Council - is represented by a voting member of the Board. The advisory councils include:

Adult Basic Education[[3]]
Arts Education[[4]]
Braille Literacy[[5]]
Community Service Learning[[6]]
Educational Personnel[[7]]
Educational Technology[[8]]
English Language Learners/Bilingual Education [[9]]
Gifted and Talented Education[[10]]
Global Education[[11]]
Interdisciplinary Health Education and Human Services[[12]]
Life Management Skills and Home Economics[[13]]
Mathematics and Science Education[[14]]
Parent and Community Education and Involvement[[15]]
Racial Imbalance[[16]]
Special Education[[17]]
Massachusetts State Student Advisory Council
Technology/Engineering Education[[18]]
Violence Prevention
Vocational-Technical Education

[edit] Student Membership

The Massachusetts BOE is unique in that one of its nine members is a Massachusetts public school student. Legislation was filed in 1971 by Governor Francis W. Sargent which created the position. By this same legislation, the Massachusetts State Student Advisory Council was established. The Chairperson of this Council sits as a full voting member on the Massachusetts BOE. Governor Sargent said at the filing of the bill, "If we are to replace confrontation with deliberation and shouting with dialogue, youth must be invited in, not shut out. We have ... a climate where young and old can sit together, talk, and listen."[[19]]

[edit] Current Members

Christopher R. Anderson, Chairman
Ann J. Reale, Vice-Chair, Department of Early Education and Care, Chairperson
Harneen Chernow, SEIU Training & Upgrading Fund
Thomas E. Fortmann, Mathematics Consultant
Trevor Frederick, Student Advisory Council, Chairman
Patricia F. Plummer, Board of Higher Education, Chancellor
Roberta R. Schaefer, Worcester Regional Research Bureau
Henry M. Thomas, III, Urban League of Springfield
David P. Driscoll, Commissioner of Education

[edit] Former Members

Horace Mann - First secretary of the board (1837)
Abigail Thernstrom
John Silber
Jody Kelman
Jeff DeFlavio
Charles D. Baker, Jr.[[20]]
Dr. Stanley Z. Koplik
James Madden
James A. Peyser[[21]]
Emily Levine
Dr. Judith Gill

[edit] References

^ Martin, George H. (1915). The Evolution of the Massachusetts Public School System: a historical sketch. New York and London: D. Appleton and Company.