MAC Summer Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I must begin with a tribute to Susan Cole, who passed away suddenly on May 1. How to reflect on the loss of someone who put heart and soul into this mission for 33 years? As a newbie at MAC, I am not the one to recite Susan’s incredible biography, but I can share the deep sense of collective and personal loss felt by the MAC staff upon the loss of this giant of a woman, possessed of an even larger heart. My condolences go out to the huge network of people Susan held close, especially her family and the members of our Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative team, who worked most closely with her. MAC’s heart continues to beat, but it does so with a different rhythm than it did before May 1. After this moment of deep grief, we will find the way forward. Susan would expect nothing less of us.
Going on will mean continuing to face the challenging reality that students with disabilities and other high-needs students will confront as they return to school. Our COSA response to the pandemic has now become MAC’s RISE Campaign (Recovering with Inclusion, Support, and Equity) as children return to school. As a first step, MAC is convening a 20-member Advisory Group for an Equitable Recovery. The Advisory Group brings together education experts and key stakeholders to consider recommendations that will help educational recovery in Massachusetts address the very unequal way that students in the state have experienced the pandemic.
I close, wishing you good health and boundless hope in this fifth season of the pandemic. May we learn something from this devastating and multi-faceted tragedy that will honor the lives of those who will be with us only in spirit as we strive to make this world a better place for all.
Kevin Murray
Executive Director
Events
Run, Walk, and Roll to Equity:
Over $10,000 raised for educational equity!
On the second weekend in April, MAC held its first ever Run, Walk, and Roll to Equity 5K. It is not easy to hold a community-building fundraising event in a pandemic, but MAC supporters came through to make this inaugural 5K a resounding success! Global human rights activist Thea Gelbspan did her run in New York’s Central Park and involved her entire community, including her parents here in Boston. MAC supporter and Needham, MA resident, Arturo Pérez, did us one better by taking a dare from a friend and riding his bike 100 kilometers for educational equity. In addition to raising a humbling sum of money from his friends, Arturo became something of a celebrity in Needham as local media became part of the fun. Keep an eye out for next year’s repeat performance!
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
Three girls laughing and jumping in the air. On the far left is a Black girl with white jeans and a white t-shirt with rainbow sleeves jumping the highest. In the middle is an Asian girl in a colorful striped dress and long black hair. On the far right is a White girl with long red hair in a white shirt and white overalls.
RISE: Recovering with Inclusion, Support, and Equity
As schools begin to reopen, we can't revert to "business as usual". Centering inclusion, support, and equity in the COVID-19 recovery will be critical to student success and mental health. Read about how MAC is leading efforts toward an equitable recovery in education.
Massachusetts State House
State Budget
The Massachusetts State Senate Ways and Means Committee released their proposed FY22 budget on May 11. The budget is now being debated in the state Senate.
Read about MAC's priorities for children in the state budget.
Advocates pose at the State House after testifying in favor of the Interpreter Bill
Legislation
MAC is advocating for six priority bills at the State House aimed at removing barriers to educational opportunity for children across the Commonwealth.
Two new bills address measures to ensure an equitable recovery from COVID-19.
Sign up for advocacy alerts to keep informed about our legislative priorities for children.
A young man sits in a wood shop and works on carpentry
Admissions at Vo-Tech Schools
MAC supports the efforts of the Vocational Education Justice Coalition (VEJC), a gathering of community organizations and nonprofits from across the Commonwealth, to change the admissions policies at the state’s public vocational-technical schools.
These schools, created to provide pathways to secure working class jobs in the trades for high school students, have developed admissions policies that take into account factors such as grades, attendance and disciplinary records, all of which have been shown to have discriminatory effects. VEJC insists that the only way to ensure equity is to remove discriminatory criteria from school admissions.
The United States Capitol building
The American Rescue Plan: An Era of Recovery
The federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides an unprecedented opportunity to address racial and economic inequities in public education - if we use these resources wisely.
MAC Communications Intern David Spicer spoke with Executive Director Kevin Murray about what the ARP could mean for students in Massachusetts.
A blank, open notebook sits on a wooden table with a pencil rested on top of it.
Ask a Self-Advocate Series
Read the latest in our "Ask a Self-Advocate" blog series! In it, series author Jevon Okundaye explores the pros and cons of person-first and identity-first language.
Jevon is a Black autistic young man serving as MAC's MAC Young Adult Leader Fellow. Jevon hopes this series can help others self-advocate and succeed in school, college, jobs, and life. Click here for the full Ask a Self-Advocate series.
MAC in the News
People
Thank you to Arturo Perez, MAC supporter extraordinaire, who biked 100 kilometers (over 62 miles!) and raised over $2,000 in the name of educational equity for our Run, Walk, and Roll to Equity. In this video, Arturo explains why he went the extra mile(s!) for MAC.
Resources
New Resource: PRS Letters of Finding
FAQs: COVID-19 Compensatory Services
“Students Speak” logo
MAC made a public records request for all complaints filed with the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Problem Resolution System (PRS) alleging noncompliance with special education laws during COVID-19.
Our new page provides the PRS Letters of Finding we've obtained, which show the final decisions on complaints filed.
Search by school district or area of concern, or download a full list.
Students who have lost skills or have been unable to learn new skills during the pandemic can request an IEP meeting to discuss their need for COVID-19 Compensatory Services (CCS) on top of services on their IEP.
Our sample email to the school makes it easy to start the conversation.
MAC's Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative team asked students across Massachusetts: What do you need in order to do well in school?
Our new website outlines their answers, and how we're working together with students to bring their voices to legislators and advocate for what they need in school.