Founded by Hubie Jones in 1969 as the Task Force on Children Out of School, MAC’s first investigative report in 1970 on the exclusion of children from public schools in Boston led to the 1972 enactment of Chapter 766, Massachusetts’ ground-breaking law guaranteeing education for children with disabilities. It also led to the Bilingual Education Act, the first such law in the nation.

During the next two decades, MAC’s legislative and administrative advocacy led to reforms in child mental health, vocational education, lead poisoning prevention, student retention policies and child nutrition. MAC sued successfully to force the Boston Public Schools to live up to its special education obligations.

In 1992, MAC became part of the network of civil legal aid agencies in Massachusetts, and through that network, began the Children’s Law Support Project, identifying emerging children’s needs and providing back-up legal support to legal service agencies around the state. During the 1990s, MAC added community outreach and coalition-building components to work with parent and community organizations for educational equity in Boston and to protect Chapter 766 statewide.

Current MAC Projects

a)     Children’s Law Support Project, which coordinates a statewide legal and legislative agenda on behalf of vulnerable low income children, including those who are homeless, at risk of school expulsion, with disabilities, or suffering the traumatic effects of exposure to family violence.

b)     Statewide Inclusion Project, which ensures that special education laws enable children with disabilities to obtain the services and accommodations that lead to a high quality and inclusive education. Focus areas include autism, Somerville and Boston.

c)     Boston School Reform Project, which advocates for education equity and excellence in the Boston Public Schools, through administrative advocacy and through community outreach and technical assistance with parent groups and the black and Latino communities.