Friends of Chapter 74 Vocational Technical, & Agricultural Education,
We are most pleased to share the testimony of Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray. He testified yesterday in front of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) calling on members to reject the Healey-Driscoll administration’s proposal to implement a lottery system that would dramatically revise admissions requirements for vocational technical schools (“voc-techs”).
Fmr. Lt. Gov. and Worcester Chamber President & CEO spoke before Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Voc-Tech Admissions
Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Murray Testifies Against Voc-Tech Admissions Lottery Plan
Chamber Urges BESE to Support Legislation to Implement Statewide Admissions Task Force
WORCESTER, Mass. (April 29, 2025) – Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray testified today in front of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) calling on members to reject the Healey-Driscoll administration’s proposal to implement a lottery system that would dramatically revise admissions requirements for vocational technical schools (“voc-techs”).
“Instead of an ambitious program to provide universal access to Chapter 74 programs across the state, this board is handed a proposal by Governor Healey that picks winners and losers and pits students and families against each other in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state,” says Murray. “Additionally, it signals a further retreat from high academic standards and expectations for our students, which has attracted many companies to Massachusetts for the brainpower of our workforce.”
In his testimony, Murray instead urges board members to support legislation (HD.4510) filed by Rep. Frank Moran that 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. This task force would evaluate the state’s voc-tech system and develop effective solutions that ensure that these schools have the capacity and resources to continue to equip all eligible students with skills that strengthen them.
These proposed changes come as demand for voc-tech education continues to surge, with between 6,000 to 11,000 students in Massachusetts currently on waitlists. BESE is meeting on May 20 to vote on the administration’s proposal.
Please see Murray’s full testimony below for additional information.
Remarks by Timothy P. Murray, President/CEO Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on April 29, 2025
In my role as chair of the Alliance of Vocational-Technical Education I have not commented publicly on the debate regarding admissions policies until recently.
My hope was that with the appropriate leadership we could have built on the incredible success of the Capital Skills Grant program which has added over 10,000 Chapter 74 seats across the state over the last 15 years, the majority of which have been expanded into our comprehensive high schools
My hope was that a reasonable compromise could be found so that the handful of districts whose numbers were not reflective of their sending districts for protected classes would be addressed so that we could focus on dramatically expanding this very successful form of education.
As stated in DESE’s Massachusetts Career Vocational Technical Education Wait List report posted in February 2021, “…statewide enrollment trends over the past few years have shown vocational schools and programs are comprised of student populations that generally reflect the communities in their sending districts.” Moreover Commissioner Riley in April 2021 submitted to this board proposed amendments after a year of stakeholder engagement stating that “I believe we can best address this complex issue by allowing individual schools and programs to set policies that respond to the needs of their sending communities and are consistent with applicable, federal and state laws and regulations to promote equitable access for all students while retaining the department’s role to monitor compliance and intervene when necessary.”
Candidly, I am saddened and disappointed to be here as we are not talking about a big and bold agenda to expand Chapter 74 programming. Instead, with Governor Healey’s proposed regulations submitted to this board we have a failure of leadership and the abandonment as a Commonwealth of common-sense criteria and having high expectations for our students around academic achievement, attendance and behavior.
Instead of dramatically expanding this successful form of education that has created waiting lists for Chapter 74 programs across the state by utilizing the Fair Share or Millionaire’s Tax revenue, we retreat through these proposed regulations to a system that tells students merit and hard work doesn’t matter, attendance doesn’t matter, and student behavior doesn’t matter.
An eighth-grade student who has worked hard academically to achieve, gotten herself up to go to school every day, and not been a behavior problem is being told with this proposed lottery that her hard work doesn’t matter. She is equal to the student that has not achieved academically, been absent 27 times and had behavioral problems at school. Instead of an ambitious program to provide universal access to Chapter 74 programs across the state, this Board is handed a proposal by Governor Healey that picks winners and losers and pits students and families against each other in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state. Additionally, it signals a further retreat from high academic standards and expectations for our students, which has attracted many companies to Massachusetts for the brain power of our workforce.
I respectfully ask this Board to shelve this proposal and support Representative Frank Moran’s legislation, HD 4510, to create a statewide task force on this issue and give new Commissioner Pedro Martinez the opportunity to evaluate our vocational-technical system and work with leaders who are seriously committed to dramatically expanding Chapter 74 programs so that all students have access to this life-changing form of education that prepares our young people for both a career and/or college.
Worcester Chamber supports legislation to expand vocational-technical school access
· Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce · Apr 10, 2025
Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce Makes Push to Expand Vocational-Technical School Access across Commonwealth
Chamber Seeks to Boost Capacity and Opposes Healey-Driscoll Plan That Would Weaken Admission Standards
WORCESTER, Mass. (April 10, 2025) – 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, HD.4510, 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.”
For more information about this legislation, please visit https://www.worcesterchamber.org/vocational-technical-education/
About The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce is the largest chamber in New England representing over 2,000 members from all industries and of all sizes located in a service area of over 40 cities and towns and other communities in Central Mass. and beyond. The organization serves the region’s business community through public policy advocacy, educational and networking events, and economic development efforts. For more info, visit: https://www.worcesterchamber.org.
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