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From YouTube: State House Hearing on Education
Description
Join Mayor Marty Walsh as he offers testimony in support of reforming state funding for education.
A
A
Gentleman
hi
Thank,
You,
chairman
Lewis,
we're
joined
by
three
me
as
I,
want
to
thank
members
of
the
committee
for
allowing
me
to
testify
today
me
and
Maddie
watched
in
the
city
of
Boston
I
served
in
the
house
representatives
from
1997
through
January
2014,
so
I
want
to
thank
all
of
you
for
your
service
to
the
members
of
this
committee.
I
want
to
thank
also
for
working
to
modernize.
Our
education
funding
is
among
the
most
important
thing
and
tasks
that
we
can
do
as
leaders
in
Massachusetts.
A
It's
one
of
the
most
important
issues
that
I
think
this
legislative
body
and
this
legislature
is
going
to
face
in
quite
some
time.
I
know
the
issue
is
important
to
all
of
you
and
you're
gonna
really
think
about
this
very
powerfully,
I'm
proud
to
serve
in
the
House
of
Representatives.
For
so
long
with
some
of
my
colleagues
here,
I'm
also,
he
had
awful
support
and
the
work
that
you
do
I'm
here
to
let
you
know
what
this
means
to
the
city
of
Boston
and
the
young
people
in
our
schools.
A
A
There
are
dozens
of
other
mayor's
from
across
the
Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts
that
here
today
we
all
represent
different
cities,
counties,
regions
and
school
districts,
all
across
the
Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts
and
in
the
past
many
of
our
differences
of
capital
supplier
advocating
for
our
own
interest
in
what
was
concerned
to
our
own
school
districts
and
it's
a
different
conversation
today.
Today
we
come
together
because
we
believe
that
all
of
our
young
people
equally
deserving
of
a
21st
century
education.
A
That
means
meets
unique
needs
and
prepares
them
for
a
bright
future,
and
we
come
together
around
the
principle
of
funding.
Education
is
a
partnership
between
the
Commonwealth
and
all
of
the
communities.
It's
not
a
backstop.
It's
not
a
bonus,
it's
not
a
handout.
It's
a
partnership
embedded
in
our
state's
Constitution
as
a
duty
we
owe
to
every
child
in
every
city
and
every
town.
That's
what
the
courts
ruled
when
the
legislature
enacted
legislation
in
1993
with
the
changes
the
world
has
undergone
in
the
last
25
years.
It's
even
more
true.
Today.
A
We
must
work
together
to
understand
what
our
young
people
need
and
we
must
work
together
to
fund
that
need
here's
why
this
partnership
is
so
important
to
the
city
of
Boston
and
to
me
we
have
nearly
55,000
diverse
students
resilient
and
talented
young
people,
we're
sitting
in
our
Boston
Public
classrooms,
all
across
the
city
of
Boston.
As
we're
in
this
hearing
today,
47,000
of
those
young
people,
young
people
of
color,
that's
80
per
six.
Eighty
six
percent
of
our
entire
student
body.
Our
students
face
economic
disadvantage
at
twice
the
statewide
rate.
A
Our
students
are
English
language
learners
at
three
times
higher
than
the
state
rate,
and
if
you
look
at
all
students
in
Massachusetts
who
have
multiple
challenges
who
face
poverty,
language
barriers
and
disabilities
at
the
same
rate,
Boston
Public,
Schools,
43
percent
of
those
students
in
the
entire
Commonwealth
of
Massachusetts.
In
other
words,
Boston
is
left
out
of
the
education
funding
partnership.
They
nearly
half
of
the
highest
need.
Students
in
the
state
will
be
left
out
as
well.
If
perform
is
something
that
we
do
every
26
years
once
in
a
generation,
then
this
is
the
generation.
A
We
cannot
leave
any
of
our
young
people,
out
least
of
our
most
vulnerable
students,
whether
in
Boston
or
Holyoke,
or
lower
or
Haverhill
of
Pittsfield
or
any
other
community.
For
that
matter.
If
we
are
serious
about
closing
the
achievement
gaps,
if
those
students
must
be
at
the
heart
and
they
need
to
be
at
the
heart
of
this
conversation,
what
that
means
in
practical
terms,
is
this
any
reform?
A
There's
three
proposals
in
front
of
you.
Any
reform
must
fully
implement
the
recommendations
of
the
foundation
budget.
Review
Commission
in
a
must
guarantee
state
partnership
to
those
funds
and
those
foundation
budgets
with
the
basic
level
level
of
funding
for
every
district,
so
the
dish's
can
count
on
it
in
Boston.
We
are
proud
to
be
a
growing
city.
We
don't
ask
we're
not
asking
for
the
same
resources
as
a
gateway
city
or
as
a
community
on
the
Cape
Cod
or
in
the
Berkshires.
A
We're
asking
that
the
state
fulfills
its
responsibilities
to
partner
with
us
to
fund
education
for
our
students
for
Bronston
and
a
number
of
other
cities
and
towns.
That
means
States
must
take
into
account
the
actual
funding
available
for
districts
after
accounting
for
charter
school
costs.
There
are
more
than
one
way
to
achieve
these
goals,
and
we
certainly
welcome
the
conversation
to
continue
those
conversations,
but
the
final
legislation
must
make
sure
that
every
district
can
rely
on
state
partnership,
otherwise,
no
minimum
funding
the
omentum
and
funding
is
included
in
this
reform.
A
Then,
two
years
from
now
to
chapter
78,
the
city
of
Boston
will
fall
to
zero
and
will
not
matter
how
much
we
get
and
how
much
revenue
we
bring
in
as
a
growing
city.
After
that,
the
Commonwealth
will
deduct
charter
school
tuition
from
an
unrestricted
general
government
aid
which
we
use
to
fund
services
like
Public
Safety,
affordable
housing
parks,
transportation
and
climate
resiliency.
This
would
spell
the
end
of
the
education
partnership
with
the
state's
largest
districts
and
the
investment
by
the
Commonwealth
in
the
capital
city
and
our
children.
A
That's
what's
at
stake
in
Boston,
but
we're
not
alone
cities
and
towns
across
the
state
face
similar,
similar
declines
and
similar
dilemmas.
That's
why
we
are
here
standing
together
for
a
solution,
a
solution,
that's
inclusive,
a
solution,
that's
affordable,
there's,
a
solution
that
will
finally
take
politics
out
of
the
conversation,
so
we
can
stop
hitting
city
against
town
district
against
charter,
rep
against
rep,
senator
against
Senator
and
stop
meeting
all
of
our
students
and
our
community's
needs.
I
want
to
thank
you
for
the
opportunity.