HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2360        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 429

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to a "parent trigger petition" at schools in the Commonwealth.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/17/2013

George N. Peterson, Jr.

9th Worcester

1/29/2013

Bradford Hill

4th Essex

1/30/2013

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

1/18/2013

Viriato Manuel deMacedo

1st Plymouth

1/25/2013

Donald Humason

 

 

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

 

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

 

Nicholas A. Boldyga

3rd Hampden

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Daniel B. Winslow

9th Norfolk

 

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

 

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester

 

Matthew A. Beaton

11th Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2360        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 429

By Mr. Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 429) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others relative to creating a "parent trigger petition" process at underperforming or chronically underperforming schools in the Commonwealth.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act relative to a "parent trigger petition" at schools in the Commonwealth.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1J of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after subsection (w), the following new subsection:-

(w ½) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any underperforming or chronically underperforming public school that requires further improvement or has failed to improve, following the commissioner’s review as detailed in subsection (w), may be subject to further turnaround plans, as initiated by a petition signed by the parents of a majority of the students enrolled at said underperforming or chronically underperforming school.

If the commissioner is presented, in the time and manner specified by commissioner rule, a written petition signed by the parents of a majority of the students enrolled at said underperforming or chronically underperforming, specifying one or more of the actions described below by subdivisions (1) through (3), inclusive, that the parents request the commissioner to order, the commissioner shall, except as otherwise authorized by this subsection, order the specific action requested. If the school committee of the said district in which the underperforming or chronically underperforming school is located presents to the commissioner, in the time and manner specified by commissioner rule, a written request that the commissioner order specific action authorized by said subdivisions (1) through (3), inclusive, other than the specific action requested in the parents’ petition and a written explanation of the basis for the school committee’s request, the commissioner may order the action requested by the school committee.

Under this subsection, the commissioner shall have the authority to order the following actions:

(1)repurposing of the underperforming or chronically underperforming school;

(2)closure of the underperforming or chronically underperforming school; or

(3)educational choice, whereby students of the underperforming or chronically underperforming school are offered a monetary voucher to cover the cost of attendance at any private or other public school.

SECTION 3. This Act shall be effective beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.