For MASSPTA

Dana Mohler Faria, Kim Hunt and Ruth Kaplan, January 26, 2008

"It's not that what we do today shapes the future, but that our vision of the future shapes what we do today."

Family Voices' electronic newsletter, Bright Futures: Family Matters.   This issue is entitled  Weighty Matters .  It includes lots of tips and info on healthy eating and how to maintain healthy weight in our families.  It is attached in PDF print format for you to read and distribute and may be downloaded at www.brightfuturesforfamilies.org/pdf/FamilyMattersWinter2008.pdf .

Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
Schools and the Opportunity to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
http://www.chps.net/manual /climate/index.htm

On January 9th, 2008, CHPS called together a group of stakeholders to
discuss schools and their impact on climate change, and how CHPS can
address greenhouse gas emissions in its 2009 Criteria revision.
Presenters discussed greenhouse gas emissions and buildings, calculating
emissions, building and policy solutions and model programs in other
building sectors.

Key findings, stakeholders that attended, presentation slides and
climate change resources shared at this meeting can be found at
http://www.chps.net/manual /climate/index.htm

The mission of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools is to
facilitate the design, construction and operation of high performance
schools: environments that are not only energy and resource efficient,
but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities
for a quality education.

Http://srdad.com/SrDad/Briefing _Room/Briefing_Room_html
There was a time that Robyn O'Brien never gave a thought to what she or her family ate.  One day at breakfast,  her fourth child ate a scrambled egg,  turned red,  started looking like a blown up balloon,  and changed Robyn's view of allergies and nutrition forever. Nutrition education became a basic of Robyn's family. As Robyn learned more about how food is produced,  she was alarmed by all the dangers we are never told about. She shares what she has learned in a conversation with Senior Dad Stan Goldberg,  as they talk about what to feed your family,  the links from genetically engineered milk hormones to breast cancer,  prostrate cancer,  and ovarian cancer. They talk about government penalties to organic growers,  and about school lunches. Robyn O'Brien,  "The Mighty Nutritionist"

     Board of Education Public Comment Brochure

The Massachusetts Board of Education welcomes public comment on matters within its purview.

Accordingly, the Board makes available a maximum 30-minute period at its regular meetings for persons in the audience to address the Board for no longer than 3 minutes. Written material of any length may be submitted. Preference will be given to persons who seek to address the Board on specific agenda items for the upcoming Board meeting. Agendas for upcoming Board meetings are generally posted 5 days prior to the meeting at www.doe.mass.edu/boe/docs/.

Persons wishing to speak are strongly encouraged to submit their request before the day of the meeting; contact information is provided below. Preference will be given to those who submit requests by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the regular Tuesday meeting. If time permits, the chairman will allow members of the public who have not contacted the Department in advance to speak in the public comment period; those individuals must sign in prior to the start of the meeting.

The chairman may limit the number of speakers due to time constraints and may increase or reduce the time allocated per speaker. While there is no requirement to submit written testimony, a speaker who elects to do so should submit 15 copies of the testimony prior to or at the meeting for distribution to Board members. Requests to address the Board, written testimony, and other inquiries may be transmitted by mail, e-mail, fax, or telephone to: Massachusetts Board of Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, Phone: 781-338-3102, Fax: 781-338-3770, E-mail: boe@doe.mass.edu.

Join us February 1st for Speakers & Discussion on:

"The School-to-Prison Pipeline" at the Greater Boston Civil Rights Coalition

 Friday, February 1, 2008, 9:30-11:00am

 JALSA, 18 Tremont Street, 3 ^rd Floor, Boston MA, (Between Park Street & Govt. Center T stops)

The School to Prison Pipeline describes the tragic journey that begins in segregated, impoverished schools and ends in juvenile halls and adults prisons for far too many children of color.  http://www.charleshamiltonhoust on.org/Projects.aspx 

 

Guests:

Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice

Kaia Stern - Project Director, Pathways Home from Prison Project

Tami Wilson - Coordinator, School-to-Prison Pipeline Project

http://www.charleshamiltonhous t on.org  

 

 The Youth Advocacy Project

  J ulie Bowden - Staff Attorney

 Duci Goncalves - Staff Attorney

http://www.youthadvocacyprojec t .org/

 

 

For information or to register:

Wednesday, February 13
10:30 am in Room A-1
State House, Boston  

Pursuant to Article 87 of the Massachusetts Constitution, the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight will conduct a public hearing on  the Governor's proposed reorganization of the Education boards and agencies of the Commonwealth, "An Act Reorganizing Certain Education Agencies ,"  Tuesday,  January 29 in  Room B-1 at 10:30 AM.  

 

We have invited the members of the Joint Committees on Education and Higher Education to join the panel to hear testimony from and ask questions those who appear .