just the facts
j ust the facts M TA G O V E R N M E N T R E L A T I O N S H456 – AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN EDUCATIONAL MANDATE TASK FORCE LEAD SPONSOR Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) CO-SPONSORS REPRESENTATIVES Brian Ashe Cory Atkins Ruth Balser Jennifer Benson Tricia Farley Bouvier Michael Brady Paul Brodeur Thomas Calter James Cantwell Gailanne Cariddi Leah Cole Edward Coppinger Claire Cronin Daniel Cullinane Mark Cusack Josh Cutler Michael Day Stephen DiNatale Michelle DuBois Carolyn Dykema Lori Ehrlich John Fernandes Ann Margaret Ferrante Carole Fiola Sean Garballey Denise Garlick Colleen Garry Kenneth Gordon Danielle Gregoire Patricia Haddad Jonathan Hecht Kate Hogan Bradley Jones Louis Kafka Jay Kaufman Peter Kocot Robert Koczera Stephen Kulik John Lawn David Linsky Timothy Madden Paul Mark Paul McMurtry James Miceli Mathew Muratore James Murphy Harold Naughton Shaunna O’Connell Keiko Orrall Jerald Parisella Sarah Peake Elizabeth Poirier Denise Provost Angelo Puppolo John Rogers Jeffrey Roy Paul Schmid Alan Silvia Frank Smizik Todd Smola Theodore Speliotis Thomas Stanley Benjamin Swan Steven Ultrino John Velis RoseLee Vincent Christopher Walsh SENATORS William Brownsberger Cynthia Creem James Eldridge Jennifer Flanagan Anne Gobi Kathleen O’Connor Ives Patricia Jehlen John Keenan Barbara L’Italien Eric Lesser Jason Lewis Michael Moore Richard Ross James Welch BACKGROUND Related to the issue of unfunded mandates (i.e., state laws or regulations that impose requirements on local school districts, including reporting requirements, but without providing any or sufficient state funding to comply with the law or regulation) is the concern about excessive mandates. Especially in recent years, as new state and federal laws and regulations have proliferated, administrators and educators, superintendents and school committees, have felt the increasing burden of mandates, which takes time, energy and resources away from teaching and learning. While no one doubts the need for some mandates, it is important to examine all existing state mandates to determine whether some can be consolidated or eliminated. . WHAT THIS BILL DOES ■■ Establishes an 11 member educational mandate task force to review existing state mandates placed on public school and districts. ■■ Charges the task force with developing recommendations to streamline, consolidate, or eliminate outdated or duplicative mandates, including reporting requirements; considering creating a single master reporting form; and, ensuring new state laws or regulations do not duplicate existing reporting requirements. ■■ Requires the task force to hold at least one public hearing and to file its report and recommendations with the legislature no later than 12 months following its first meeting Kate Donaghey, Lobbyist | Catherine Fichtner, Lobbyist | Julie Johnson, Lobbyist | Sean King, Lobbyist 617.878.8119
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