Chapter 15 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following 2 sections:-

Section 67. (a) As used in this section and in section 68, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Commission”, the education policy commission established in this section.

“Public school”, any school administered by a school department of a city or town or regional school district, a county agricultural school, a commonwealth charter school or a Horace Mann charter school established pursuant to section 89 of chapter 71.

(b) There shall be established within the department, but not under its control or the control of the board, an independent state agency known as the education policy commission.

(b) The commission shall consist of:

(i) 4 persons to be appointed by the commissioner, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 5 in a public school, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in a public school, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching in a public school classroom for children who have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability and 1 of whom shall be an expert in classroom instruction and possess a Doctor of Philosophy in education;

(ii) 4 persons to be appointed by the board, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 5 in a public school, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in a public school, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching in a public school classroom for children who have been diagnosed with a specific learning disability and 1 of whom shall be an expert in classroom instruction and possess a Doctor of Philosophy in education; and

(iii) 3 persons to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall have experience teaching students in a public school to be selected from a list of 3 nominees offered by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, 1 of whom shall have experience administering a public school or school district to be selected from a list of 3 nominees offered by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Inc., and 1 of whom shall be an expert in classroom instruction and possess a Doctor of Philosophy in education to be selected from a list of 3 nominees offered by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc.

(c) Members shall be appointed for a term of 3 years and no member shall serve for more than 2 consecutive terms.  The commission shall annually elect 1 of its members to serve as chairperson.  Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum, and the affirmative vote of 6 members of the board shall be necessary and sufficient for any action taken by the board. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and duties of the commission.

(d) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed, subject to appropriation, for expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred in the performance of their responsibilities. Members shall not be considered state employees for purposes of chapter 268A by virtue of their membership on the commission. 

(e) The commission shall not be required to obtain the approval of any other officer or employee of any executive agency in connection with the collection or analysis of any information; nor shall the commission be required, prior to publication of any report pursuant to subsection (c) of section 68, to obtain the approval of any other officer or employee of any executive agency with respect to the substance of any reports which the commission has prepared.

Section 68. (a) The commission shall monitor state and federal legislation and proposed state and federal regulations dealing with public education. If the commission determines that legislation or proposed regulations may impact or alter classroom instruction or how educators approach or apply classroom instruction, it shall conduct a study of such legislation or proposed regulation.  The study shall include, but shall not be limited to, an examination of: (i) how the legislation or proposed regulation will impact or alter classroom instruction or educators’ approach to or application of methods of classroom instruction; (ii) the predicted outcomes, costs and benefits, both short-term and long-term, the legislation or proposed regulation will have on teachers and students; (iii) the perceived reasons justifying such legislation or proposed regulation; (iv) any potential alternatives to the legislation or proposed regulation that would have a more positive impact.

(b) Within 180 days of commencing a study pursuant to subsection (a), the commission shall submit a report on its findings in connection with that study to: (i) the department; (ii) the clerks of the house of representatives and senate; and (iii) the joint committee on education.  The report shall include any recommendations regarding the legislation or proposed regulation that the commission may have.