Tess E. Sumner
Latest Articles
Ballot Question 8 Could Turn Back the Clock on Recreational Marijuana Sales
Ten years after Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana, Ballot Question 8 aims to end its sale and home cultivation, while preserving the state’s medical marijuana program.
Ballot Question 1 Tests Legislative Transparency, Again
Amid an ongoing push to increase the transparency of the state house, Massachusetts voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to subject the state Legislature and governor’s office to public records laws — opening government financial documents and communications to public scrutiny after years of exemptions.
Cambridge Sees Historically High Science and Math MCAS Scores, But Racial and Socioeconomic Gaps Remain
Third through eighth grade Cambridge Public School students achieved the highest scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System math and science exams that the district has seen in at least a decade — but Black and low-income students continue to fall behind their peers, according to a Tuesday district presentation.
Cambridge School Committee Approves Amigos School Relocation to Former Kennedy-Longfellow School
The Cambridge School Committee unanimously voted to relocate Amigos School to the former Kennedy-Longfellow building, greenlighting a recommendation Superintendent David G. Murphy presented last week.
Superintendent Recommends Moving Amigos School to Former Kennedy-Longfellow Building
Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent David G. Murphy recommended relocating the Amigos School to the former Kennedy-Longfellow building in East Cambridge in 2028 — proposing up to $18 million in renovations to expand access to the district’s Spanish dual-language immersion program.
Weeks After School Starts, Staffing Shortages Leave More Than 20 Children Without Afterschool Care
One classroom for the Cambridge afterschool program has remained closed, leaving more than 20 students without afterschool care more than a month into the school year as staffing shortages and employee turnover have pushed the city to repeatedly postpone its opening.
After Two Shootings in Two Days, Cambridge Residents Raise Concerns with Safety, Communication Lapses
Cambridge residents questioned the city’s emergency notifications and response to gun violence during two meetings held by city leaders to address two separate shootings that occurred last week.
Cambridge Educators Union Reaches Tentative Agreements on Two Proposals, Remain At Odds on Key Issues
The union representing Cambridge educators and staff reached two new tentative agreements with the district last week and reported progress on several other proposals, even as disagreements over compensation and protections for immigrant students and staff continue to divide the two sides.
School Committee Members Push District for Measurable Goals to Improve MCAS Scores as Achievement Gaps Widen
As this year’s standardized testing data revealed persistent disparities for underrepresented students, Cambridge School Committee members pressed district administrators on Tuesday to set measurable academic goals and explain how they will support schools with low test scores.
Cambridge City Council Declines to Back Staff Union as Contract Negotiations Enter Tenth Month
Negotiations between the Cambridge School Committee and the union representing much of the district’s staff are dragging into their tenth month — and the two remain gridlocked on a slate of key demands.