The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Charter Schools - Amendments to Regulations for Charter Schools, 603 CMR 1.00
Enclosed with this memorandum, for final adoption, are the amended regulations for Charter Schools, 603 CMR 1.00. In December 2013, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) voted to solicit public comments on these proposed regulations. Based upon the comments received, I recommend a number of additional changes to the regulations.
During the drafting stage, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) shared the substance of the proposed changes with and solicited feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, including current charter school leaders, the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association. During the public comment period, the Department received written comments from seven individuals and groups with many thoughtful comments. Enclosed is a summary of those comments and the Department's responses. The Board's charter school committee also discussed changes to the regulations at the committee meetings on October 21, 2013, and February 24, 2014.
Attached are a "Brief Summary of Public Comment and Department Response;" a "Summary of Proposed Changes to 603 CMR 1.00;" an "Analysis and Synopsis of Public Comments;" "Proposed Final Regulations;" and, for your convenience, a copy of the current regulations in their entirety with all the proposed amendments shown with tracked changes. Also enclosed is a copy of the regulations indicating changes that were made following public comment. All of the comments we received are available upon request.
If you have any questions on the proposed regulations, please contact Cliff Chuang, Associate Commissioner at 781-338-3222; Jeff Wulfson, Deputy Commissioner at 781-338-6500; or me.
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