The Massachusetts Trial Court this week issued its new rules and regulations regarding public access to court records and it’s fair to say officials erred on the side of less rather than more. The rules, which were more than two years in the making, were issued in conjunction with the updated court website that is
CommonWealth’s Summer 2016 issue is out!
Is Harvard University building the next Kendall Square in Allston? That’s the question on the cover of CommonWealth’s summer issue, which is in the mail to subscribers and available online now. The Allston real estate venture is a big bet by Harvard that could have enormous potential for the city of Boston and the state, but
The ‘third way’ in education
Education leaders seek to bridge the charter-district divide
POLARIZATION AND TRENCH WARFARE, the partisan watchwords these days in Washington, have also come to define education debates. In Massachusetts, as much as $30 million could be spent between now and November in what promises to be a bloody showdown between charter school advocates and opponents over a ballot question to raise the charter school
Double-whammy for Gateway Cities
Municipalities are caught in vicious real estate cycle
CLARK UNIVERSITY IN WORCESTER this week unveiled a series of new data profiles suggesting Gateway Cities are being hit with a real estate double-whammy: housing prices that are relatively low and rents that are relatively high. That combination is trouble because it means developers have little incentive to build new housing units in Gateway Cities
CommonWealth’s Spring 2016 issue is out!
The Spring 2016 print issue is in the mail, but if you can’t wait (and who can?) here’s a rundown of what’s in it. On the feature front, we have two interesting stories about the Legislature. One focuses on the paradox of Speaker Robert DeLeo, a seemingly affable, easy-going everyman who nevertheless maintains a vise-like
Not the usual faces in state Senate race
A changing East Boston draws new blood to special election
FOR DECADES, AN East Boston resident has held the state Senate seat representing the First Suffolk and Middlesex District, which extends north from the neighborhood to Revere and reaches west to sections of Cambridge. Michael LoPresti in the 1970s and 80s. Robert Travaglini in the 1990s and early 2000s. Anthony Petruccelli from 2007 until he
Warren hails civil rights legacy of education law
Says it’s crucial that Every Student Succeeds Act maintain the federal commitment to vulnerable children
WHILE IT’S EASY to get caught up in the details and debates over mandated testing regimens and teacher evaluation policies,the federal education law that stirred such backlash for more than a decade until it was replaced last year is one of the legislative pillars of the civil rights gains of the 1960s. Sen. Elizabeth Warren,
Charter schools’ early days in Massachusetts
Two players from 1993 ed reform reflect on charter history – and future
JUST HOURS BEFORE Gov. Charlie Baker joined with Hispanic leaders in East Boston on Tuesday afternoon to rally on behalf of his proposal to raise the cap on charter schools, two people who were there when charter schools were first authorized in the state 23 years ago shared some of that history – and considered
T oversight chief favors fare hike
Light turnout so far at public hearings
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MBTA’S OVERSIGHT BOARD said on Wednesday that he believes the underlying arguments for a fare increase remain valid. He made his comment after hearing a top agency official say the two fare hike proposals the T is considering are attracting a light turnout so far at public hearings. Brian Shortsleeve, the
CommonWealth’s Winter 2016 issue is out!
The cover story in CommonWealth’s Winter 2016 issue explores the popularity of Gov. Charlie Baker and chalks his early success up to a combination of an MBA’s focus on the issues and a surprisingly emotional touch in connecting with voters. Says one admirer: “I love this guy more than any lesbian should love a Republican.” The