WHO BACKS BARACK? A REPORT ON THE LEGISLATURE

BY JOE WILLIAMS & CHARLES BARONE

LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE OBAMA EDUCATION AGENDA WHO BACKS BARACK? “Our debate seems stuck between those who want to dismantle the system and those who would defend an indefensible status quo, between those who say money makes no difference in education and those who want more money without any demonstration that it will be put to good use.” President Barack Obama, 2010 State of the Union

WHAT IS A DFER?

Both Democrats and Republicans have failed to address the tragic decline of our system of public education, but it is the Democratic Party - our party - which must question how we allowed ourselves to drift so far from our mission. Fighting on behalf of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals is what our party is supposed to stand for.

A Democrat for Education Reform - a DFER - is some- one who supports the lead- ers in our party who have the courage to challenge a failing status quo and who believe that the severity of our nation’s educational crisis demands that we tackle this problem using every possible tool at our disposal.

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“Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” Horace Mann

EDUCATION REFORM IN MASSACHUSETTS

Nearly twenty years ago, Massachusetts Democrats completely transformed government’s relationship to schools. The Education Reform Act of 1993 marked a watershed in the delivery of public education, dramati- cally increasing educational accountability in exchange for more generous funding from the state. The Act also created Massachusetts’ first charter public schools, a school model that turned out to be a national game-changer.

Twenty years later, Massachusetts is consistently ranked number one in the nation on a wide range of educa- tional metrics. The quality of Mas- sachusetts’ charter school system, in particular, is cause for celebra- tion. Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) recently reported that the average increase in learning by charter school students are is “the largest CREDO has seen in any city or state thus far.”

The policies that led Massachusetts to success - accountability in exchange for equitable funding, curricu- lar rigor, expansion of high-performing charter schools - are precisely the same ones championed today by President Obama.

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“Instead of just pouring money into a system that’s not working, we launched a competi- tion called Race to the Top.” President Barack Obama, 2010 State of the Union

While Massachusetts revelled in the success of its 1993 education reform efforts, the rest of the country spent twenty years trying to catch up. Despite an overall number one ranking, Massachusetts faced a persistent achievement gap among low-income students and students of color.

Thanks to President Obama’s leadership in beginning the Race to the Top program, Mas- sachusetts finally made substantial changes with the 2010 Act Relative to the Achievement Gap. Student outcomes are consistently improving, yet we still have a long way to go.

The successes of 2010 Act are replicable - indeed, the Act was structured to be expanded. Now is not the time for Massachusetts to limit success.

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- 2 - WHO BACKS BARACK?

“If someone can tell me where the Democratic Party stands on education reform, please let me know. Because I can’t figure it out. Our party has got to wake up on this!” then-Senator Barack Obama at June 3, 2005 DFER event

From day one of his presidency, Barack Obama challenged states to answer his call by reimagining their education policies. Massachusetts legislators had a chance to give the President’s education reform agenda a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. Most supported his agenda - some did not.

Where does your Massachusetts legislator stand on the President’s agenda? Based on combination of their voting records from the 2010 Act Relative to the Achievement Gap and legislator responses via email, we have rated the 163 Massachusetts legislators below on their support for President Obama’s education reform agenda.

- 3 - Massachusetts Legislators' Stances on President Obama's Education Agenda Vote on 2010 Educa- Stance on the Obama Legislator Name District tion Reform Bill Education Agenda

Representative Denise Andrews Second Franklin N/A

Representative Second Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Second Hampden Opposed Oppose

Representative Fourteenth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative First Norfolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Twelfth Middlesex Supported Support

Senator Michael Barrett Third Middlesex N/A

Representative First Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Thirty-Seventh Middlesex Supported Support

Representative John Binienda Seventeenth Worcester Supported Support

Representative Third Plymouth Supported Support

Representative Michael Brady Ninth Plymouth Opposed Oppose

Senator Stephen Brewer Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire Supported Support and Middlesex Representative Paul Brodeur Thirty-Second Middlesex N/A

Senator Second Suffolk and Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Thirteenth Bristol Supported Support

Representative Twelfth Plymouth Supported Support

Representative Christine Canavan Tenth Plymouth Opposed Oppose

Senator Gale Candaras First Hampden and Hampshire Opposed Oppose

Representative James Cantwell Fourth Plymouth Opposed Oppose

Representative Gailanne Cariddi First Berkshire N/A

Representative Second Norfolk N/A

Senator Harriette Chandler First Worcester Supported Support

Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz Second Suffolk Supported Support

Senator Kartherine Clark Fifth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera Tenth Hampden Abstained

Representative Nick Collins Fourth Suffolk N/A Support

Representative Thomas Conroy Thirteenth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Edward Coppinger Tenth Suffolk N/A

Representative Michael Costello First Essex Supported Support

Senator Cynthia Creem First Middlesex and Norfolk Abstained

Representative Claire Cronin Eleventh Plymouth N/A

Representative Sean Curran Ninth Hampden Supported Support

- 4 - Massachusetts Legislators' Stances on President Obama's Education Agenda Vote on 2010 Educa- Stance on the Obama Legislator Name District tion Reform Bill Education Agenda

Representative Fifth Norfolk N/A

Representative Josh Cutler Sixth Plymouth N/A

Representative Fifteenth Essex Supported Support

Representative Twenty-Fifth Middlesex N/A

Speaker Robert DeLeo Nineteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Brian Dempsey Third Essex Supported Support

Representative Sixteenth Essex N/A

Senator Sal DiDomencio Middlesex and Suffolk N/A

Representative Stephen DiNatale Third Worcester Opposed Oppose

Representative Diana DiZiglio Fourteenth Essex N/A

Representative Thirty-Fifth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Senator Kenneth Donnelly Fourth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Senator Eileen Donoghue First Middlesex N/A

Senator Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Supported Support Hampden Representative James Dwyer Thirtieth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Eighth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Eighth Essex Opposed Oppose

Senator James Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester Opposed Oppose

Representative Christopher Fallon Thirty-Third Middlesex Abstained

Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier Third Berkshire N/A

Representative Tenth Essex Opposed Oppose

Representative John Fernandes Tenth Worcester Supported Support

Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante Fifth Essex Opposed Oppose

Senator Second Essex and Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Sixth Hampden N/A

Senator Jennifer Flanagan Worcester and Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Linda Forry Twelfth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Gloria Fox Seventh Suffolk Supported Support

Representative John Fresolo Sixteenth Worcester Opposed Oppose

Representative William Galvin Sixth Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Twenty-Third Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Thirteenth Norfolk N/A

Representative Thirty-Sixth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

- 5 - Massachusetts Legislators' Stances on President Obama's Education Agenda Vote on 2010 Educa- Stance on the Obama Legislator Name District tion Reform Bill Education Agenda

Representative Fifth Worcester Supported Support

Representative Thomas Golden Sixteenth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Kenneth Gordon Twenty-First Middlesex N/A

Representative Fourth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Fifth Bristol Supported Support

Senator John Hart First Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Jonathan Hecht Twenty-Ninth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Carlos Henriquez Fifth Suffolk N/A

Representative Paul Heroux Second Bristol N/A

Representative Third Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Sixth Suffolk N/A

Representative Seventeenth Suffolk Supported Support

Senator Patricia Jehlen Second Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Senator Brian Joyce Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Supported Support

Representative Eighth Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Jay Kaufman Fifteenth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Fifteenth Worcester N/A

Senator John Keenan Seventh Essex Opposed Oppose

Senator Thomas Kennedy Second Plymouth and Bristol Opposed Oppose

Representative Eleventh Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Peter Kocot First Hampshire Supported Support

Representative Eleventh Bristol Supported Support

Representative Stephen Kulik First Franklin Abstained

Representative John Lawn Tenth Middlesex N/A

Representative Jason Lewis Thirty-First Middlesex Supported Support

Representative David Linsky Fifth Middlesex Abstained

Senator Second Essex N/A

Representative Barnstable, Dukes, and Nan- Supported Support tucket Representative John Mahoney Thirteenth Worcester N/A

Representative Elizabeth Malia Eleventh Suffolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Second Barnstable N/A

Representative Third Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Second Berkshire N/A

- 6 - Massachusetts Legislators' Stances on President Obama's Education Agenda Vote on 2010 Educa- Stance on the Obama Legislator Name District tion Reform Bill Education Agenda

Representative Ninth Bristol N/A

Senator Thomas McGee Third Essex Opposed Oppose

Representative Paul McMurty Eleventh Norfolk Supported Support

Representative James Miceli Nineteenth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Third Suffolk Supported Support

Senator Second Bristol and Plymouth Opposed Oppose

Senator Michael Moore Second Worcester Supported Support

Senator Richard Moore Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Frank Moran Seventeenth Essex N/A

Representative Michael Moran Eighteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative James Murphy Fourth Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Kevin Murphy Eighteenth Middlesex Abstained

Senate President Therese Murray Plymouth and Barnstable Abstained

Representative Seventeenth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Harold Naughton Twelfth Worcester Abstained

Representative Rhonda Nyman Fifth Plymouth Supported Support

Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives First Essex N/A

Representative James O'Day Fourteenth Worcester Opposed Oppose

Representative Eugene O'Flaherty Second Suffolk Supported Support

Senator First Plymouth and Bristol Abstained

Representative Jerald Parisella Sixth Essex N/A

Representative Fourth Barnstable Supported Support

Representative Fourteenth Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Seventh Hampden Supported Support

Senator First Suffolk and Middlesex Supported Support

Representative William Pignatelli Fourth Berkshire Supported Support

Representative Twenty-Seventh Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Twelfth Hampden Opposed Oppose

Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein Sixteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Senator Michael Rodrigues First Bristol and Plymouth Supported Support

Representative David Rogers Twenty-Fourth Middlesex N/A

Representative John Rogers Twelfth Norfolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Fourth Worcester Supported Support

- 7 - Massachusetts Legislators' Stances on President Obama's Education Agenda Vote on 2010 Educa- Stance on the Obama Legislator Name District tion Reform Bill Education Agenda

Senator Stanley Rosenberg Hampshire, Franklin and Worces- Supported Support ter Representative Tenth Norfolk N/A

Senator Michael Rush Norfolk and Suffolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Ninth Suffolk Abstained

Representative Jeffrey Sánchez Fifteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Ninth Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Fourteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Eighth Bristol N/A

Representative Second Hampshire Abstained

Representative Carl Sciortino Thirty-Fourth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Seventh Bristol N/A

Representative Fifteenth Norfolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Theodore Speliotis Thirteenth Essex Supported Support

Senator Second Middlesex and Norfolk Supported Support

Representative Thomas Stanley Ninth Middlesex Opposed Oppose

Representative Third Hampshire Supported Support

Representative William Straus Tenth Bristol Supported Support

Representative David Sullivan Sixth Bristol Opposed Oppose

Representative Eleventh Hampden Supported Support

Senator James Timilty Bristol and Norfolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Seventh Norfolk Opposed Oppose

Representative Timothy Toomey Seventh Middlesex Supported Support

Representative Cleon Turner First Barnstable Supported Support

Representative Fifth Hampden N/A

Representative Joseph Wagner Eighth Hampden Abstained

Representative Chris Walsh Sixth Middlesex N/A

Representative Martin Walsh Thirteenth Suffolk Supported Support

Representative Steven Walsh Eleventh Essex Opposed Oppose

Senator James Welch Hampden Opposed Oppose

Senator Daniel Wolf Cape and Islands N/A

Representative Jonathan Zlonik Second Worcester N/A

- 8 - PHOTO CREDITS

Cover photo, “Obama 2012 Campaign Rally—UIC Chicago, January 11th, 2012,” by Gavin Gould (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/6690664347/

“Ready to Go Rally, Columbus, Ohio, May 5th, 2012” by Christopher Dilts (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/7146035577/

“Ready to Go Rally, Richmond, VA, May 5th, 2012” by Scout Tufankjian (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/7149224165/

“Obama!” by Karen Blumberg (CC BY-NC 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/specialkrb/3213143473/

“Ready to Go Rally, Columbus, Ohio, May 5th, 2012” by Christopher Dilts (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/6999948222/

Democrats for Education Reform - Massachusetts

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