Daily Update 7/17: High-Quality Education

 on Twitter 
 via RSS | What is RSS?

Friday, July 17, 2009

Today: Friday, July 17, 2009

• This morning, Governor Patrick held his weekly Cabinet meeting in the Governor’s Council Chamber.
  
• This afternoon, Governor Patrick meets with leaders of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.
  
• Later this afternoon, Governor Patrick departs for the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi.

In the Press:

Governor Patrick, joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Mayor Tom Menino, announced his education reform package at the Museum of Science yesterday.

• High-Quality Public Education – Governor Patrick unveiled a proposal yesterday to give all children access to a world-class education by nearly tripling the number of charter school seats and granting the state greater authority to intervene in underperforming schools. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined the Governor for the announcement at the Museum of Science in Boston. Read more in the Boston Globe here, the Boston Herald here and here, the Lowell Sun here, the Springfield Republican here, the Fitchburg Sentinel here, iBerkshires.com here, and the Arlington Advocate here.
  • Watch more from the Boston Globe here, WBZ here, WHDH here, Channel 25 here, and NECN here.
    
• Listen to coverage from WBZ Radio here and WBUR.
  
• Watch more here.

• Top Dog at the State House – The Governor’s new puppy Tobey traveled with him to Pembroke and Marshfield yesterday. Watch footage of Tobey here and read more from the Boston Herald. Watch coverage here.
  
  

• Controlling Health Care Costs – The Special Commission on the Health Care Payment System, co-chaired by Administration & Finance Secretary Leslie Kirwan and Division of Health Care Finance & Policy Commissioner Sarah Iselin, yesterday unanimously endorsed recommendations for improving the quality of patient care in Massachusetts by dramatically changing the way patients pay for health care. The Governor appreciates the work of the members of the commission from the Administration, the Legislature, business, and health care professionals and advocates.  Massachusetts has become a national leader in health care reform by covering over 97% of our residents. But we can’t stop there, and to ensure that reform is sustainable we need to be serious about tackling costs.  These recommendations are a good first step and the Governor appreciates the focus not just on cost containment but on the quality of the services provided.  We now need to work together – bringing to the table the some coalition that forged health care reform four years ago – to craft a final blue print for cost containment that will ensure that we continue down the path of quality health care coverage for all. Learn more here.

• Read a related article in the Boston Globe, the Associated Press, and the New York Times.   

Governor Patrick fields questions at the Town Hall meeting in Pembroke.

• Governor of the Whole Commonwealth – Governor Patrick continues to have conversations with the Commonwealth’s residents through his Town Hall Meeting tour. Governor Patrick: “It’s really about…getting out and engaging directly with people — listening to them, letting them tell me what they are worried about, concerned about or hopeful about so that I can keep testing whether what we are working on here in the governor’s office and in this administration really does respond to real issues in real people’s lives.”

• Read about last night’s Pembroke Town Hall and watch a video from the Patriot Ledger. Read other stories in the Sharon Advocate and Pembroke Express.  

• Read an op-ed about the town halls written by the Governor in the Dorchester Reporter.

• Clean Energy Leaders – Governor Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley announced yesterday they will jointly develop large scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power installations through a new statewide entity operating in collaboration with the state’s four investor-owned electric distribution utilities. This plan will maximize the benefits of renewable power for ratepayers across the state authorized by the Green Communities Act and help meet Governor Patrick’s goal of 250 MW of solar generation installed in the Commonwealth by 2017.    “Solar power is a key component of our clean energy future,” said Governor Patrick. “I am delighted to work with Attorney General Coakley on an innovative new model to bring renewable energy – and the jobs that come with it – across the state at the lowest cost possible.”  Learn more here. 

•  Read more in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Business Journal, Brockton Enterprise and iBerkshires.com.

This Week:

• On Monday evening, in keeping with his commitment to civic engagement, Governor Patrick participated in the Nexus Alliance Forum at Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries Headquarters in Boston. Read more here.

• On Tuesday, Governor Patrick made an announcement relative to housing in the Governor’s Council Chambers.

• Tuesday afternoon, Lieutenant Governor Murray testified before the Joint Committee on Public Safety in support of victims’ rights legislation. Read more about the Patrick-Murray Administration’s plans for victims’ rights here.

• Tuesday evening, Governor Patrick hosted a town hall meeting at Memorial Band Stand in Sharon.

• Yesterday morning, Governor Patrick met with the residents, family members and staff and toured the Glavin Regional Center in Shrewsbury.
   
• On Wednesday, Governor Patrick met with Massachusetts YMCA leaders in Worcester.

• On Thursday, Governor Deval Patrick unveiled sweeping legislation to improve public schools and close achievement gaps. Learn more.

• Thursday afternoon, Governor Patrick participated in a business roundtable discussion in Marshfield.

• Thursday evening, Governor Patrick hosted a town hall meeting in Pembroke.