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S 377

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2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tom Davis

The bill changes the nine governor-appointed Board of Elementary and Secondary Education seats to require nomination lists from specific groups for most positions, formalizing stak

Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
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Bill Summary · S 377

Summary — S.377 (2025): An Act relative to the board of elementary and secondary education

Purpose

The bill amends the composition and appointment process for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Chapter 15, Section 1E of the Massachusetts General Laws) to specify particular stakeholder representation among the nine members appointed by the governor. The intent is to formalize guaranteed seats for labor, parents, teachers, school committee members and business representation, and to require some appointments be made from nomination lists provided by specified organizations.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 1E, chapter 15 (striking the second and third sentences of the first paragraph and inserting new language).
  • Specifies the composition of the nine governor-appointed members as follows:
    • 1 representative of a labor organization — to be selected by the governor from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL–CIO.
    • 1 representative of business and industry — selected by the governor; required to have a demonstrated commitment to education.
    • 1 representative of parents of school children — selected by the governor from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts Parent Teachers Association (PTA).
    • 2 representatives of teachers — one selected by the governor from a list of three nominees offered by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), and one selected by the governor from a list of three nominees offered by the American Federation of Teachers/Massachusetts (AFT–MA).
    • 1 school committee member — selected by the governor from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC).
    • 4 additional members — selected by the governor (no nominating-list requirement specified).

Who is affected

  • The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: its gubernatorial appointee composition and nomination procedures would change.
  • Specified stakeholder organizations: Massachusetts State Labor Council (AFL–CIO), Massachusetts PTA, MTA, AFT–MA, and MASC gain formal nominating roles.
  • The governor’s appointment authority: narrowed for certain seats because appointments must be chosen from three-person lists provided by the named organizations.
  • Educators, parents, school committees, labor groups, and business representatives — potentially greater guaranteed representation on the Board.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Filed on Senate Docket: 1/16/2025 (Senate No. 377).
  • Introduced / Read twice and referred: 02/03/2025 — referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • Additional referrals noted (metadata): referred to the committee on Education (02/27/2025); status lists “REFERRED TO FINANCE” (1/08 — duplicated entries).
  • Hearing scheduled: 11/12/2025, 11:00 AM–5:00 PM, Gardner Auditorium.
  • Petitioners listed in bill text: Senators Patricia D. Jehlen, James B. Eldridge, Patrick M. O’Connor, and Michelle L. Badger.

Notes and potential impacts

  • By requiring nomination lists from specific organizations, the bill formalizes organized stakeholder influence over some gubernatorial appointments; this may shift the Board’s composition and priorities.
  • The business representative and four additional members remain at-large gubernatorial selections, allowing some balance of appointee types.
  • The metadata supplied with the bill contains inconsistent sponsor and procedural entries (including names associated with other legislative bodies). The authoritative sponsors/ petitioners are those listed in the bill text (Jehl en et al.) and the statutory change concerns Massachusetts General Laws chapter 15.

If you’d like, I can: (1) draft a short one-paragraph summary for public distribution, (2) compare this proposed composition to the current statutory composition, or (3) outline likely stakeholder positions and policy implications.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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