Greetings!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to thank you for everything you've done to push us toward the finish line of the historic Student Opportunity Act. All that stands between us and a long overdue increase in resources for our schools is Governor Baker's signature. It's not over till it's over, but we are close. We wouldn't be this close without your support, your letters, phone calls, rallies, marches (with baby carriages) and visits to the State House.

See below for more about the legislation, what it will mean for our schools and what we need to do to make sure the money goes where it is most needed.

Best regards,

Lisa Guisbond
CPS Executive Director, lisa@citizensforpublicschools.org
MA House and Senate Pass Student Opportunity Act! Now on to Governor Baker
The Student Opportunity Act has arrived on Governor Baker's desk, after unanimous votes in both the House and Senate.

We've gotten this far only because of the dedicated work of thousands of students, parents and educators, people like you!

What's in the bill?

  • An increase in state education funding of $1.5 billion per year (after a seven-year phase-in).
  • This will mean smaller class sizes, more counselors, updated supplies, art, music and enrichment for students who have been suffering under austerity budgets for far too long.
  • All four of the Foundation Budget Review Commission recommendations for educating students with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-income families, and adequately funding health insurance for staff and retirees.
  • A focus on districts with the greatest needs, increasing the threshold for qualifying as low income from 133 to 185 percent of the poverty line and giving districts a higher, more realistic allowance for educating children from low-income families.
  • Increasing the amount of money the state has available to help communities build and repair schools.

CPS and our partners in the Fund Our Future coalition had pushed for the strongest possible language to ensure that state authority would not override local control of district plans to close gaps in achievement and opportunity. The final version of the bill represented a compromise that was not what we wanted but still acceptable, especially given what was achieved overall.

We were glad to see that the bill does require local district plans to consider input from local parents and teachers. It will be up to all of us to stay vigilant, engaged and vocal to make sure district plans reflect our priorities for our schools.

(For more on the bill, see coverage from The Boston Globe, The Worcester Telegram, WBUR ,  Commonwealth Magazine ,  and Adrian Walker . See also Tracy Novick's blog post.)

We are enormously grateful to every CPS member and friend who helped make this happen and to our legislative champions who heard our voices and shepherded the bill through.
Save Tuesday, Dec. 10, for a CPS House Party

Our next CPS house party will be Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the home of Monty Neill in Jamaica Plain. Come l earn about CPS and share your ideas with us! Save the date and watch for more details to come. RSVP here. (Watch for information about another house party in Cambridge in January.)
Fund Our Future Boot Camp, Dec. 14, 11am

Join CPS and the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA) at the first of two Fund Our Future Bootcamps on Saturday, December 14th, 11am to 4pm, at the Boston Teachers Union, 180 Mt. Vernon St., Boston. Please RSVP at bit.ly/FOFBootcamp1 .

Students, parents, and educators from across the state will come together and make plans for the next phase of the Fund Our Future campaign. With $1.5 billion dollars in public school funding coming to our communities, we must take our fight to local school committees and build strong local campaigns that demand students receive all that they’ve been promised and that they deserve.
Save Feb. 26 for an evening with Diane Ravitch, Barbara Madeloni and Maurice Cunningham!

Save Wednesday, February 26, for an exciting evening with Diane Ravitch. Diane's new book, Slaying Goliath, features the story of Massachusetts' victorious 2016 No on 2 campaign to keep the cap on charter schools. She'll be joined by two key players in that victory, Barbara Madeloni and Maurice Cunningham. 7pm at First Parish in Cambridge, Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St., Cambridge. (Snow date, March 4.)
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Citizens for Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization. A voice for public education since 1982.