New center to study effects of ed reform
The Boston Globe
Michelle Kurtz, Globe Staff
October 2, 2002
Citing a lack of research on how well the Bay State's education revamp is working, an influential private nonprofit announced yesterday that it is launching a new center devoted to in-depth study of state education reform.
MassINC, a nonpartisan group that holds sway with policymakers, has teamed with Paul Reville, who has headed a state-mandated commission with a similar mission that lost all its state funding this year.
"When you think about how much resources and attention education reform has been getting, it's crazy we have not been doing more to reflect" on the effort, said Tripp Jones, cofounder and executive director of MassINC, which aims to promote growth of the middle class.
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One lawmaker said he thought that MassINC might be more effective than the state commission in trying to influence policy.
"There is an inherent conflict of interest there in the state reviewing its own actions," said Senator Robert A. Antonioni, co-chair of the education committee. "I think this is a plus for the state. It probably fills a void that will make a difference."
The 10-year old commission was established by lawmakers as an independent watchdog to study education reform and report to the Legislature. But its $300,000 budget was cut this year, and its work will stop in a few months.
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