| Chamber Seeks to Boost Capacity and Opposes Healey-Driscoll Plan That Would Weaken Admission Standards
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce today announced its support for a legislative package that takes a thoughtful approach to improving access to high demand vocational-technical (“voc-tech”) education while maintaining the high standards that prepare students for success, whether in the workforce or in pursuit of further educational opportunities.
“Employers recognize how critical voc-tech schools are for building a skilled workforce,” said Timothy P. Murray, President and CEO of the Chamber. “Families line up to enroll their children in these programs because they deliver results in the form of highly prepared graduates ready to excel in their careers or further study.”
As demand for voc-tech education continues to surge with between 6,000 to 11,000 students in Massachusetts currently on waitlists, it is in the interest of the business community in Central Massachusetts and across the Commonwealth to expand the capacity of voc-tech schools so that more students can be served by them.
The Chamber is opposing the Healey-Driscoll administration’s proposal to implement a lottery system that dramatically revises voc-tech admissions requirements because it will water down standards, including grades, attendance, and behavior, without solving the fundamental capacity issue.
The chamber has activated its members to support H.651/S.358, which would provide $300 million in new funding to expand vocational school capacity, increase the Mass. School Building Authority reimbursement rate to build new voc-tech schools, and enable better outreach and access to middle school students.
A separate bill supported by the Chamber, HD4510, would pause the implementation or enforcement of the proposed one size fits all lottery system and establish a statewide vocational admissions task force to study voc-tech admissions practices on a district level and develop effective solutions that ensure that these schools continue to equip all eligible students with skills that strengthen them.
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is meeting on May 20 to vote on the administration’s proposal.
“This is not the time to implement a lottery system and walk away from a process that works,” added Murray. “The Chamber supports a legislative package that addresses the real need for greater funding and more seats for voc-tech schools.” |
