education

An article in Saturday's Boston Globe shows the reciprocal relationship between the investments we make in public education, job training and public higher education and the businesses and jobs that make our economy thrive.

As the article points out, many high-tech businesses are refusing to relocate to states where wages are 20 to 30 percent lower because the Massachusetts workforce is better trained and more skilled:

“Among the reasons that we have continued to expand is we have access to high quality, educated employees, many with biotech and pharmaceutical backgrounds,’’ chief financial officer David Arkowitz. “Our intellectual capital resides here in Massachusetts, and it’s too precious to relocate.’’

This article also underscores the importance of investing in the state's educations system, k-graduate school.

Randolph decided what kind of government they wanted and decided to pay for it!!!

RANDOLPH —

The groundwork was laid during the summer, with the hiring of new staff members and the revision of curriculums. And when classes begin on Tuesday, the work on the transformation of the Randolph schools will begin in earnest.

“We are celebrating the beginning of the revival of the Randolph Public Schools,” School Superintendent Richard Silverman told teachers and other staff members during a pre-opening meeting on Wednesday.

“We have a mission to change education in Randolph,” he said.

With the money from a $5.5 million Proposition 2½ override approved by voters in the April 1 town election, 60 new staff members have been hired, most for new or restored positions.

In the elementary schools, librarians, reading teachers, special-education coordinators and literacy coaches have been added. Every day, students will have a class in either music, art or physical education.

Last month we asked "Who Needs Libraries, Anyways?"

Second and Fourth graders at George H. Mitchell Elementary School in Bridgewater have resoundingly answered that question by raising more than $20,000 for their town's public library.

“The children learned that they could do something worthwhile to support their community and they improved their reading at the same time,” said second-grade teacher Lisa Ohman.

Seen as non-essential services, libraries across our state are suffering budget cuts in the form of slashed hours, or even closed doors.

Magnifying local budget cuts is the loss of state certification and its associated rights, such as inter-library loans, that can occur when towns cut funding to libraries disproportionately to the rest of town priorities.

So what?

Ruth Hathaway, manager of the Holbrook Library calls the library, "the ultimate community center for all ages.” Ruth, and countless Massachusetts citizens like her, are fighting to save these public structures that provide opportunities for education and community interaction.

Unless Holbrook voters support a Proposition 21/2 tax override on June 10, the doors of that community center will be locked.