Two different kinds of problems point to the urgent need to rethink our entire system of teacher education in Massachusetts, and in the country as a whole. On one hand, the system supplies far too many teachers whose academic background in the subjects they are licensed to teach is inadequate. When one school district central-office […]
Opinion
Posted inEducation, Opinion
A push to expand MCAS may dumb down science education
It was hardly a surprise when the state Board of Education voted in June to require high school students to pass one of several new MCAS tests in science in order to graduate. Pressure had been building for such a move, not only within the state but also in Washington, DC. In January, Gov. Mitt […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Improving the re-entry of ex-inmates is essential to reducing crime
In “Approaching Reentry” (CW, Summer ’05), crime expert Jeremy Travis spoke at length about the problem of inmates returning to society. As former district attorney of Middlesex County, state attorney general, and in my current capacity as chairman of the Department of Correction Advisory Council, I view the issue of returning inmates as one of […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, Opinion
For the good of our economy the next phase of education reform must aim higher
The recent news that Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble was buying the Gillette Co. set off the predictable round of hand wringing about Boston’s future. Yet the vibrancy of the Massachusetts economy, driven as it is by the Boston region, will depend little on the presence of this or that company headquarters, poignant though their loss […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Massachusetts is a global leader in innovation but not in civic matters
MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN long recognized as possessing unique capacities at producing innovations that have changed the nation and the world. Whether its residents are especially gifted or they take advantage of the region’s rich institutional and financial resources, the Bay State distinguishes itself as an incubator for new ideas that work. Such new ideas and […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
A court decision on school financing is a chance to revisitand improveeducation reform
The coverage in the press gave a misleading picture of the school finance decision handed down by Judge Margot Botsford in April. The judge did not say that the state needed to throw out its current system of funding schools nor did she say that we needed to divert millions of dollars from wealthy districts […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Medical services must be rationed but in a sensible way
The federal government recently reported that health care spending has surpassed $1.5 trillion. Roughly 15 percent of our gross domestic product goes to health care, a far higher percentage than in any other nation. Yet life expectancy is lower in the US than in Sweden, Japan, Iceland, Italy, Israel, France, Australia, and several other countries. […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion, Politics
Civil service hiring rules promote mediocrity among public safety workers
There is a public safety crisis in Massachusetts, a crisis of our own making. The quality of our workforce is not what it should be, and it’s our own fault. At a time when public safety depends more than ever on a professional, educated workforce, the Commonwealth operates under a set of archaic rules that […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care, Opinion, Politics
Rising medical costs could upend state government
Read responses to this article When we speak of balance in government, the typical reference is either to the intricate separation of powers inherent in our constitutional democracy, or to the fiscal requirement of a balanced budget. Questions of balance, then, are usually left to the political scientist or fiscal officer, and are of secondary […]
Posted inOpinion, Uncategorized
What Boston needs to do to capitalize on the Democratic National Convention
Political and civic leaders of smart, effective cities use big public events to achieve long-lasting development and social benefits. That’s what I’ve learned from six years of visits to world-class metropolises in this country and abroad in search of models for civic development. These benefits are achieved because hosting high-profile occasions forces these cities to […]