MAC Fall Newsletter
Dear Friends,
It’s been almost two years since COVID-19 hit Massachusetts and MAC's office transitioned to remote work. In response to the pandemic, we've shifted many things about the way we work - but our mission to remove barriers to educational opportunity for children and youth in Massachusetts remains the same. Among our challenges has been the pressing need to pursue this mission in a way that reflects the disparate racial impacts of the pandemic.
Most students have returned to in-person school, and many of the predictions we made - such as increased use of punitive discipline, heightened need for student mental health support, and widened opportunity gaps for students of color and English language learners - have, unfortunately, come true. Our Helpline is ringing off the hook.
But as always, MAC is here with support and resources. Our new Pivotal Moment report outlines our recommendations for an equitable COVID-19 recovery period and envisions school systems that invest resources in social-emotional learning, classroom-based professional development, and other research-based strategies to support student learning and growth.
We have reason to celebrate - and we hope you will celebrate with us, on November 10 at our R.I.S.E. Up event. I'm excited to hear from our keynote speaker, Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, about his vision for an equitable education system. And we're thrilled to honor Barbara Fields, a longtime advocate for equity in BPS and a founding member of the Boston Network for Black Student Achievement, for a life of concern for Boston’s students.
Recently, we also celebrated Latinx Heritage Month, recognizing the contributions of Latinx community members to public education. We're especially thankful to MAC’s Latinx volunteers and supporters who help us keep this work moving forward.
¡Adelante!
Kevin Murray
Executive Director
Events
Join us as we look toward the future of education and celebrate how our community is facing the COVID Recovery period with Inclusion, Support, and Equity (R.I.S.E.) front of mind for Massachusetts students. Featuring keynote speaker Rev. Willie Bodrick, II and Rise Up for Equity award winner Barbara Fields!
Join our virtual event:
Wednesday, November 10
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Chat with us: Second Thursday of each month, 8 - 8:45 PM, massadvocates.org/chat
Charla con nosotros: El tercer miércoles de cada mes, 8 - 8:45 PM, massadvocates.org/charlas
Advocacy Updates
A Pivotal Moment: Ensuring an Equitable COVID-19 Recovery in Massachusetts Schools
Check out our new report providing recommendations regarding some of the most effective practices, strategies, and approaches for ensuring equity and closing gaps in educational opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period:
New Partnership with Lawrence Community Works
MAC is pleased to partner with Lawrence CommunityWorks on the new Lawrence Inclusion Initiative. This project aims to provide more inclusive options for students with disabilities in the Lawrence Public Schools. Lawrence CommunityWorks (LCW) is a community development corporation that weaves together community planning, organizing, and asset-building efforts with high-quality affordable housing and commercial development to create vibrant neighborhoods and empowered residents.
Use of ARPA funds for Civil Legal Aid
MAC is contributing to an effort coordinated by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) to lobby the legislature to devote some of the resources coming to Massachusetts through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support for the Commonwealth’s civil legal aid network. The centerpiece of this effort is a push to provide the resources necessary to make the right to legal council a reality to all residents of the state facing housing insecurity in the wake of the lifting of the eviction moratorium in place during the pandemic. In addition, MAC is helping to lead a drive to bring ARPA funds to a coordinated legal services effort to ensure access to high-quality education for students struggling in the wake of COVID-19 school closures.
A young man sits in a wood shop and works on carpentry
Vocational Education Justice Coalition
MAC continues to participate in the Vocational Education Justice Coalition (VEJC), an effort to change vocational school admissions to ensure equitable access to the schools for all students. The State Board of Education approved changes this spring that purported to prevent the use of discriminatory admissions criteria in voc-tech schools, but local schools around the Commonwealth continue to use such criteria. Through VEJC, MAC is currently engaged with DESE to encourage a more aggressive review of these policies by the Department.
MAC in the News
People
With mixed emotions, at its September 2021 meeting, the MAC Board of Directors accepted the resignations of three board members, each of whom had contributed greatly to the organization’s success. David Barone, Sharon Hamel and Marty Guay all stepped down as part of a board development process initiated by the board in the months prior to the pandemic. We thank those members for their selfless devotion to MAC’s mission over many years and we salute their determination to continue helping MAC stay on course through ongoing board committee work. Thank you!
Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, J.D., M. Div.
MAC welcomes Rev. Bodrick as the newest member of our Board of Directors. Rev. Bodrick is a longtime advocate for racial justice and quality public education. He currently serves as Senior Pastor of the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury and is a practicing lawyer at Brown Rudnick LLP.
He is also the keynote speaker for MAC's November 10th R.I.S.E. Up event!
Jakira Rogers
MAC is pleased to welcome Jakira Rogers as the new Program Lead of our Racial Equity and Access Program (REAP). Jakira comes to MAC from nearly three years of experience within government service, at the Massachusetts Office on Disability as an Access Specialist, and, most recently, at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health where she worked to advance health equity within communities who have historically been marginalized.
Jevon Okundaye
Jevon joined our staff in August as a temporary Program Assistant for MAC's Racial Equity and Access Program (REAP). Jevon previously worked for two years as a Young Adult Leadership Fellow at MAC. As Program Assistant, he has continued his "Ask a Self-Advocate" blog series, where he has explored self-advocacy, the intersection of race and disability, and more.
Resources
Open enrollment for the Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver closes this Saturday, 10/30. This program allows MassHealth eligible children under age 9 who have autism to access intensive treatments and services in their homes and communities.