PioneerEducation

BOSTON — Julie Young, the founding CEO of Florida Virtual School, ASU Prep Digital and ASU Prep Global and one of the architects of the modern virtual learning movement has released a new book, Say YES! How Virtual Became Reality. Published in partnership with Pioneer Institute, the book chronicles the mindset shifts and disciplined practices that allowed her and her team to turn a small, grant-funded pilot into a first-of-its-kind national model serving millions of students globally. Young will discuss her journey on Monday, July 13 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, in a live webinar hosted by edWeb.net.

Urban school reform was working. Did antiracism break it? We have sought to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in public education for decades. For us, that means a diverse staff, a multicultural curriculum, inclusive school communities where children feel known and heard, and most importantly, academic achievement for all students. In the 2010s, new schools dedicated to educational equity were posting striking results. When the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University examined student outcomes from 2015 to 2019 in 29 states as well as Washington, D.C., and New York City, it identified some 200 charter school networks serving urban areas that were closing — or even reversing — longstanding achievement gaps in reading, math, or both.

Today’s ruling is a serious disappointment for Massachusetts families struggling under one of the highest tax and cost burdens in the nation. The Court’s decision rests on a drafting error in the Attorney General’s summary of the petition—a matter entirely outside the control of voters and petition signers. As a result, the people of Massachusetts will be denied the opportunity to decide whether the Commonwealth should reduce the income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent.

As states decide whether to participate in the new federal scholarship tax credit program, Pioneer Institute is urging Governor Healey to ensure Massachusetts families are not left behind. In a letter to the governor, Executive Director Jim Stergios notes that governors from blue states, including most recently New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have already moved to participate in the program. Massachusetts students and families should not be denied the same opportunity.