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Daily Update 10/14: Celebrating Educational Achievement

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Governor’s Daily Update
Schools, Jobs, and Civic Engagement
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

 

Today: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

·        This morning, Governor Patrick signed an Executive Order creating the Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Advisory Council in Natick.

·        This evening, Governor Patrick meets with his Council of Economic Advisors at the State House.

 

In the Press:

Governor Patrick accepts the “Excellency in Environmental Advocacy Award” from the Conservation Services Group last night.

 

  • Celebrating Educational Achievement – Governor Patrick celebrated Massachusetts’ strong student achievement on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams. Our 4th and 8th grade students ranked first in the nation in math for the third time in a row. The state's 8th graders outscored students from every other state and ranked first alone, while the Commonwealth's 4th graders tied for first with students from New Hampshire and Minnesota. "Yet again, our students are leading the nation. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and our students, teachers, administrators and parents should be celebrated for their achievements," said Governor Patrick. "Now we must commit to building on our considerable success by ensuring that every child is empowered with the education they need to succeed in a 21st Century global economy." Learn more here. Watch the Governor’s congratulatory video here.

 

  • Massachusetts Recovery – Governor Patrick today announced that he will convene a cross-section of the state’s foremost business, financial, education and public policy leaders during an Economic Summit at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston on October 27. The day-long summit will focus on ways to promote long-term economic recovery and job growth throughout the Commonwealth. "Massachusetts is poised to come out of this downturn faster and stronger than the rest of the country," said Governor Patrick. "By convening representatives of commerce and industry from every corner of the state, we can plot a course together to make the most of our recovery and assure that no one is left behind." The summit will include discussions on the current state of the United States’ and Massachusetts’ economy, the Administration’s strategies for economic recovery, initiatives to successfully leverage state, federal stimulus and private investments in order to create conditions for maximum job growth, ways to support the innovation economy, and public-private collaborations that can move the economy forward. Learn more here.

 

o        Read more in the State House News Service, the Associated Press, the Worcester Business Journal, and in iBerkshires.

·        Promoting STEM Education – Governor Patrick today joined Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray and other elected officials and community leaders to sign an executive order establishing the Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Advisory Council. The new council will serve as a central advisory body, bringing together public and private sector stakeholders involved with STEM planning and programming, with the goal of increasing student interest in, and preparation for, careers in STEM. “The STEM disciplines are essential building blocks of a cutting-edge highly skilled workforce,” said Governor Patrick. “This effort to bring together the very best resources and ideas the Commonwealth has to offer around these areas of study means that today’s students will be ready for tomorrow’s jobs.” Learn more here.

o        Read more in Electronics Design, Strategy, News.

·        Successful Health Care Reform – The Patrick-Murray Administration announced today that more than 97 percent of Massachusetts residents have health insurance, demonstrating the ongoing success of health care reform in the Commonwealth.  According to the state’s annual household survey on health insurance, only 2.7 percent of state residents remain uninsured. Nearly ever major demographic group is within a few percentage points of universal coverage. "Health care reform is working in Massachusetts," said Governor Deval Patrick. "With more than 97% of our individuals and families enjoying the benefits of affordable, reliable coverage, we are leading the nation." Learn more here.

o       Read more in the Boston Herald, and on WBUR.

  • Commitment to Transportation Reform – Jeffrey Mullan, the state's incoming transportation secretary, is busy implementing landmark transportation reform and has made clear that there will be no increases in fares, tolls or other transportation revenue sources. He is consolidating six agencies into a single entity: the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. His hopes are to have commuters deal with a unified bureaucracy that has a single Web site, one customer service telephone number and interoperability allowing them, for example, to use their MBTA Charlie Card on the Massachusetts Turnpike. "I think people see the vision. I think people understand the need to save money, to generate more efficiency, to focus on customer service," Mullan said. Read more in the Boston Globe.

 

 

This Week:

 

·        Yesterday evening, Governor Patrick attended the Conservation Services Group 25th Anniversary Celebration. The Governor accepted the organization’s “Excellence in Environmental Advocacy Award” for his leadership on environmental issues.