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Christy Mihos on Education
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MCAS has become a weapon against public education
Q: What's your take on the MCAS?MIHOS: We've really cut all the support services for MCAS. I am against MCAS. It was a tool, it's now a weapon. We went from 1789 to 2003 in this Commonwealth with public education and it works.
We've spent $9 billion dollars over the last few years on ed reform and what have we learned? When you fund these school systems properly they do well, when you don't they don't. I'm against MCAS.
Source: 2006 MA Gubernatorial debate on Fox News with Chris Wallace
Sep 25, 2006
No state-based merit pay; let cities & towns decide
Q: What are your views on merit pay for teachers?MIHOS: I'm against merit pay, but what I'm for is Christy's proposition 1, get as much local aid back to those cities & towns, let them make the decision at the local level via their local school
committee, as to how to run their schools, and not let some elites up on Beacon Hill in the department of education make the decision for the local cities & towns as to what they want taught in their schools and how they want it taught.
Source: 2006 MA Gubernatorial debate on Fox News with Chris Wallace
Sep 25, 2006
Favors chartre schools at the current cap
Christy supports legislation to that would institute a two-tiered high school diploma system, which would provide MCAS-certified diplomas to students who pass the test, and local diplomas to students who have fulfilled their high school
graduation requirements but have not passed the MCAS. Christy favors charter schools, but he would not raise the cap that limits the number of them.
Source: Campaign website, www.christy2006.com
Jul 16, 2006
No fees for school buses or school sports
Will remove all sport & activity fees from public schools. School busing must be provided free to all public school students grades 1 through 12.
By using state tax dollars to support our cities and towns [via local aid], Christy will take the financial burden off of families with children who wish to be active in their school communities.
Source: Campaign website, www.christy2006.com
Jul 16, 2006
Supports charters, but keep the cap for now
Mihos says he supports the concept of charter schools, but does not favor raising the cap that limits the amount of money districts can spend on them. "I am just not ready to lift the cap." he said. Mihos's children attended private schools, and he says
that experience helped shape his policy on education, especially his proposal to devote more state funding to local communities for schools and to eliminate activity fees.
Source: Boston Globe Issue Outlines: Education
Jun 3, 2006
More state funding for schools, to relieve local funding
Remove All Academic and Activity Fees From Public Schools: There's no excuse for such fees, and localities shouldn't be in a position where they feel as if they have to penalize their own children for being active and involved.
By increasing local aid to 40 percent, localities will no longer be in that position.
Source: Campaign website, www.christy2006.com, "Proposition 1"
Jun 2, 2006