A Strong Education Democrat Takes the Race in Boston

By Liam Kerr, DFER Massachusetts (DFER-MA) State Director As many of us sleep off our post-election hangovers, the new mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, is already planning for his next four years in office— years that will no doubt include tremendous improvements to Boston’s public schools. Those who have followed the race know that DFER

RELEASE: DFER Endorses Former Teacher and Education Champion in Boston Mayoral Race

Contact: Devin Boyle | 202.445.0416 | Devin@dfer.orgLiam Kerr | 617.684.5426 | Liam@dfer.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Democrats for Education Reform Endorses Former Teacher and Education Champion in Boston Mayoral Race John Connolly Tapped for His Commitment to Boston’s Kids Boston, MA, July 12th, 2013 – Democrats for Education Reform Massachusetts (DFER-MA) endorsed former teacher, City Council

RELEASE: DFER Endorses State Rep. Nick Collins for MA State Senate

Contact: Devin Boyle | 202.445.0416 | Devin@dfer.orgLiam Kerr | 617.684.6426 | Liam@dfer.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Democrats for Education Reform Endorses Candidate for MA State SenateState Rep. Nick Collins Tapped for His Commitment to Education Boston, MA, April 23rd, 2013 – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) today endorsed State Rep. Nick Collins in the First Suffolk

Charters Schools are Beyond an Experiment

By Liam Kerr, DFER Massachusetts State Director Politician [pol-i-tish-uh n] noun: The only animal that can sit on a fence and keep both ears on the ground.* This definition fit Massachusetts’ politicians straddling both sides of the charter school debate just a few years ago. In our state, which is home to the nation’s second-oldest charter

"Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts."

By Liam Kerr, DFER Massachusetts State Director That slogan highlights the prescience of Massachusetts voters who in 1972 gave recently deceased Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern his only state in the Presidential race against Richard Nixon. Yet, 40 plus years later, nowhere does it apply more than our state’s attitude toward K-12 education. Break out

REPUBLICAN FY 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL

REPUBLICAN FY 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL DRAMATIC AND RECKLESS CUTS TO EDUCATION SPENDING   Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives began debate on its budget proposal for FY 2013, the upcoming fiscal year that begins October 1st. The debate resumes on the House floor today. In Washington: • Almost 3,500 children will be eliminated from the

Guest View: Charter schools have proved their value

By Andrew Flamang and Joe Williams (SouthCoast Today, October 26th, 2011) Andrew Flamang is New England director of Democrats for Education Reform, and Joe Williams is the advocacy organization’s national executive director. At least once a year, opponents gather to make their case against charter public schools at a Statehouse hearing, but their arguments repeatedly

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick: "Everything Is On The Table…"

Is Massachusetts in play for some serious reform? Don’t lace up the dancing shoes just yet, but keep a close eye on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and his newly-appointed panel of heavy-hitters who will develop a new statewide ed reform plan. “We need to change fundamentally the way we think about and most of all