Rep. Lewis has filed the following bills to address education issues:
An Act to Fulfill the Promise of Education Reform by Ensuring Adequate Funding for Student Success: The Chapter 70 Foundation Budget has not been systematically reviewed and updated since the Education Reform Act of 1993. Many educators and education policy experts believe that the foundation budget has not kept pace with actual education costs, including healthcare, special needs, and technology. This bill calls for a full and complete adequacy study of the foundation budget. It will determine the resources necessary to fulfill the promise of education reform for all students in the Commonwealth.
An Act to Improve Equity in Education Funding: This bill codifies the ceiling that was adopted in the Chapter 70 formula since FY07 such that no community is required to contribute more than 82.5% of their foundation budget. It also introduces a lower ceiling of 80% for the target local contribution of less affluent communities in order to make the Chapter 70 formula more equitable.
An Act to Require Basic Special Education Training for All Teachers: Our public schools have worked hard to increase classroom inclusion for students with developmental and learning disabilities. However, many regular classroom teachers have limited or no training to help them understand the special needs, legal requirements, interventions and resources available for these students. This bill requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a basic curriculum that regular classroom teachers who have not had such training can take as part of their ongoing professional development.
An Act to Prohibit Direct Supervision by a Family Member for Public School Employees: This bill strengthens Massachusetts statute in regards to a public school employee being under the direct supervision of a family member. Some states and many school districts have nepotism rules in place to prevent this from happening, but this bill would ensure clarity and uniformity in school personnel policy across the Commonwealth.
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Rep. Lewis has also c0-sponsored several pieces of legislation dealing with education:
An act further providing for reimbursement to cities and towns for extraordinary special education costs
An act relative to third grade reading proficiency
An act relative to health education in schools
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You can see a full list of the legislation Rep Lewis has filed or co-sponsored here.