MAYOR WU SWEARS IN NEW MAYOR’S YOUTH COUNCIL

MAYOR WU SWEARS IN NEW MAYOR’S YOUTH COUNCIL This group of 86 high schoolers works to engage and empower Boston’s youth through civic participation

BOSTON - Thursday, February 10, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu yesterday joined the Department of Youth Engagement and Employment to swear in this year’s Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC). These 86 high school students work to give teens a voice in City government by advising the Mayor and her Cabinet on issues pertinent to their peers. This marks the first Youth Council swearing-in since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “This Youth Council so often serves as the beautiful beginning to a much longer commitment to serving our communities, and I am so excited that these young leaders have accepted this invitation,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “With the help of the Youth Council, I look forward to continuing to demonstrate just how much is possible in this City with young people leading the way.” The Mayor's Youth Council is a model of youth inclusion in government and civic engagement. As the first Mayor’s Youth Council in the nation, it has spurred cities across the nation, and even internationally, to examine how they include youth in local government. Members, or Ambassadors, of the MYC serve for one term and act as representatives for all young people who reside in Boston. Students were selected following an extensive application and interview process announced in April. The number of youth representing neighborhoods is based on census data that indicates where young people live. MYC is a year-round commitment, and members devote 10 to 15 hours a month to meetings, events, projects, and outreach.  “Serving as a youth ambassador for the Mayor’s Youth Council and a co-director of the Workforce and Economic Development Committee is truly an honor and a humbling experience,” said Wesley Ekes, 16, a Dorchester resident, Boston Collegiate Charter School student, and Co-Director of the MYC Workforce and Economic Development Committee. “Having an established environment where youth across Boston can collaboratively brainstorm and implement initiatives across a wide variety of recurring issues is critically important to the success of our city.” "Youth voices have been undermined and ignored. But I’m so proud of ‘Gen Z’, they are not afraid to speak up,” said Thy Nguyen, 17, a Dorchester resident, Excel High School student, and Co-Director of the MYC Education Committee. “We’re the ones experiencing injustices, who can make better decisions for us if that’s not us?"  MYC representatives form issue-based subcommittees designed by input from youth and are reflective of the overall structure of Mayor Wu’s Cabinet. The current committees include Arts & Culture, Civic Engagement, Climate Action, Education, Public Health, Public Peace, Workforce & Economic Development, and Youth Lead the Change. 22 of the members are elected by their peers to serve as Directors and Liaisons to lead the Youth Council's committees and neighborhood working groups. Each MYC Committee is focused on better understanding the needs of young people and the resources available in the City within their respective impact area. Historically, members of the MYC have worked on a variety of issues related to public safety, participatory budgeting, and civic engagement. The MYC provided feedback to the MBTA on their 5-year plan for transportation in Massachusetts (GoBoston 2030); guided the community input process for how the City of Boston spends $1 million of the City budget through “Youth Lead the Change” participatory budgeting over the past seven years; and led many discussions around current issues and events for young people during the pandemic. “Young people are not just our future, but leaders of the current moment, change makers of our current circumstances, and bold, brave advocates for justice, equity, and opportunity today,” said Rashad Cope, Director of the Department of Youth Engagement & Employment. “Boston has always been a city that values its young people, and as we embrace a changing society we know education, healthcare, jobs, public safety, and career pathways require youth decision making. MYC offers a space for youth in Boston to have a voice and confront these and other issues in their neighborhoods, school community, and within city government.”  This year, Youth Ambassadors are also part of a pilot of three neighborhood working groups to facilitate a needs assessment aimed at better understanding the priorities of Boston’s youth. Both Youth Council committees and neighborhood working groups will be supporting the youth needs assessment by crafting a survey of questions to understand youth needs, as well as hosting youth assemblies to amplify youth voice. Each working group will represent different neighborhoods of Boston.  Mayor Wu welcomed the new Youth Council at a ceremony at the Boston Public Library. The swearing-in ceremony usually happens at the beginning of the Council year, but because of the pandemic and transition it was moved to February. Due to COVID-19, the previous Mayor's Youth Council (2020-2021) was fully remote for the entire program. This marks the first year the Youth Council will be back meeting in-person. To learn more about the Mayor’s Youth Council and the Department of Youth Engagement and Employment, please visit here.

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Governor Baker Nominates Joseph P. Hurley, III as Circuit Justice of the District Court

 Governor Baker Nominates Joseph P. Hurley, III as Circuit Justice of the District Court

 

BOSTON — This week, Governor Charlie Baker nominated Joseph P. Hurley, III as Circuit Justice of the District Court. Assistant Clerk Hurley has 28 years of legal experience.

 

“Joseph P. Hurley, III possesses years of experience in public service that make him a well-qualified candidate for the District Court,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to the Governor’s Council’s consideration of his nomination for this appointment.”

 

“I am pleased with the nomination of this distinguished candidate,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Attorney Hurley’s years of experience in both the public and private sectors and deep knowledge of the law will allow him to serve the Commonwealth with fairness.”

 

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties; all misdemeanors; and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth.

 

For more information about the District Court, visit their homepage.

 

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.

 

About Joseph P. Hurley, III

 

Joseph P. Hurley, III began his law career as a law clerk with Hannon and Hurley in 1988, and later as an associate after receiving his law degree in 1991. Assistant Clerk  Hurley joined the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 1993 before returning to Hannon and Hurley to resume his position as an associate from 1994 to 1996. He then joined the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds in 1996 as the Head Executive Assistant Register of Deeds. Since 1998, Assistant Clerk Hurley has served in his current position for the Norfolk Country Superior Court. He is very active in his community, both as a coach for Braintree Youth Lacrosse and as a volunteer for the Braintree Municipal Golf Course Special Needs Golf Program. Assistant Clerk Hurley is a member of both the Massachusetts and Norfolk County Bar Associations, serving as an officer in various roles for the latter, and is the Secretary of the Superior Court Clerks’ Association. Assistant Clerk Hurley received his Bachelor’s degree from Saint Michael’s College in 1983, and his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in 1991. 

MIT校長 L. Rafael Reif 宣佈今年底卸任

MIT校長 L. Rafael Reif。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

     (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻省理工學院 (MIT)已在位10年的校長L. Rafael Reif ，今(10)日宣佈2022年底卸任。

                 L. Rafael Reif原籍委內瑞拉(Venezuela)，父母是納粹時期，逃到東歐的猶太難民。他從史丹福大學取得博士學位後，1980年加入MIT，起初是電子工程系助理教授，後來當了7年教務長，2012年再當上MIT第17任校長。

                 L. Rafael Reif 卸任後將休假一年，再回電子工程及電腦科學系當教授。

            MIT並未公佈搜尋繼任校長的相關細節。

               L. Rafael Reif 在位的10年間，做了不少是，其中最有野心的是重塑肯德廣場(Kendall Square)計畫，把MIT校園東側變成了初創企業聚集的創新樞紐。大部分的這些新發展動態都發生在MIT自己擁有的土地上，包括以前用做停車場的幾塊地皮，都變成了辦公或住宅大樓。

             L. Rafael Reif還有許多其他備受矚目的舉動與建設。

             2015年時，L. Rafael Reif先是在華盛頓郵報上公開發表意見，宣導他稱為”創新果園”的新組織，以協助在”硬科技 (Tough Tech)”中的初創企業成功落地。2016年，MIT就宣布推出”引擎 (The Engine)”這新種類的企業孵化器，支持有潛力對社會有改變性影響的科學及科技創新型的初創企業。

             迄今，”引擎”經過2輪募資，已募得4億3千萬元，支持了27家挑戰氣候變化，人類健康，以及各種有開創性的先進系統等公司。

             在他的領導之下，MIY也於2018年承諾以10億元來因應電腦及人工智慧給世界帶來的機會與挑戰，並在Stephen A. Schwarzman捐資3億5千萬元下，成立了Stephen A. Schwarzman計算學院。

2020年，MIT和哈佛大學聯名興訟，挑戰禁止持有F-1學生簽證，但所選課程因為新冠病毒全改為網上教授的國際學生入境美國的政策。如今該政策已撤銷。

2021年1月，在美國政府的”中國計劃”行動中，機械工程教授陳剛以詐欺聯邦補助款的罪名被捕。麻省理工學院容許陳剛在抗辯期間停職留薪，還支付陳剛的法律費用。2022年1月，聯邦政府要求法院撤銷所有控罪。L. Rafael Reif也發表了一封公開信，聲稱從一開始就頓陳剛有信心，大家都對有破壞性過程的正義結果正在浮現，都很感恩。

             為著手解決最困擾世界的一些議題，MIT在2016年推出”更好的世界”程款計劃，從11萬2千名個人及組織，募得62億4千萬元，遠超最初訂定的50億元目標。 

             在L. Rafael Reif在位期間，MIT的捐贈基金也從103億元增長到274億元。

176 Cultural Organizations Receive $431,000 in Mass Cultural Council Projects Grants

One-year Grants Support Public Programming 42% of Recipients Are First-Time Applicants

BOSTON – Mass Cultural Council today announces that FY22 Projects grants totaling $431,000 have been awarded to 176 Massachusetts cultural organizations to support public programming that provides access, excellence, diversity, or education in the arts, humanities, or sciences.   This year supported projects range from a mobile art outreach program on Cape Cod to a sonic performance examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northampton.   “Culture brings us together, generates empathy, and helps us heal in a time of crisis. The projects funded today will provide unique opportunities for Massachusetts residents to participate and enjoy cultural events and activities in their communities,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council.   Part of Mass Cultural Council’s Cultural Investment Portfolio (CIP) suite of programs providing operating and project-based support for cultural organizations, Projects grants frequently provide a point of entry for smaller organizations to begin a granting relationship with the Agency. This year, 42% of Projects applicants were organizations applying to Mass Cultural Council for the first time.    “I am pleased to note that 93 applicants to this grant round are brand new to Mass Cultural Council, and 66 of them have received funding,” said Bobbitt. “As I embark on my second year leading the Agency, I am focused on recruiting even more new individuals and organizations to participate in our programs and services.” First-time Projects grantees funded in FY22 include: Abilities Dance, Brookline: An Evening with Abilities Dance in Upham’s Corner Berkshires Jazz, Pittsfield: Jazz Appreciation Month: the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, Northampton: Con Alma, a sonic performance which examines the isolation of the pandemic Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cotuit: Art Bus Community Roots: mobile art outreach program, encouraging family engagement Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art, Fall River: two public art projects to be presented in a downtown storefront in Fall River Lowell Makes, Lowell: 2022 Mill City Skill Share, an annual a day of free community-led workshops Northbridge Brass Endeavors, Northbridge: Afternoon of Brass performances in Northbridge and Worcester Ohketeau Cultural Center, Ashfield: The Living Presence of Our History, a public project on contemporary Indigenous issues A key pillar of Mass Cultural Council’s Strategic Plan is Growing the Economy. Projects grants accomplish this goal by providing support to nonprofit arts, humanities, and science organizations across Massachusetts. These organizations connect people of all ages to theater, music, dance, visual art, and film; teach them about history, literature, and the environment; and introduce them to new ideas and cultural traditions. Further, the Agency’s new Racial Equity Plan lays the foundation for Mass Cultural Council to invest financial, programmatic, and informational resources equitably across the cultural sector.   A complete funding list and project descriptions for FY22 Projects grantees is available online.

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON TEACHERS UNION ON KEY COVID-19 POLICIES

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON TEACHERS UNION ON KEY COVID-19 POLICIES

BOSTON - Thursday, February 10, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu announced today that the City had reached an agreement yesterday with the Boston Teachers Union, the City’s largest union, on key COVID-19 policies. The union ratified the agreement with 84% of members voting in favor of the agreement. The agreement is subject to the approval of the Boston School Committee. “I’m grateful for the vast majority of our teachers who have already gotten vaccinated,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This overwhelming ratification vote of a policy that has already boosted vaccination rates across our workforce and will ensure that all new hires must be vaccinated will help us prioritize a safe and healthy environment for students and staff.” The signed MOA allows unvaccinated members to submit proof of two negative COVID-19 screening tests per week during periods of lower virus transmission, the specifics of which are outlined in the agreement. During periods of higher virus transmission, unvaccinated members will not be allowed in school buildings, but may use some accrued time as an alternative to being placed on unpaid administrative leave. The union issued the following statement regarding the agreement:   “We are glad to have reached an agreement with the district that will uplift the health and safety of our educators, students, and communities, while still being able to retain our educators who have chosen to remain unvaccinated. The agreement takes important steps to promote public health and to mitigate classroom staffing disruptions.”

波士頓市朝向人民預算邁步 2月份將分區舉辦4場聆聽會

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES BUDGET LISTENING TOUR Mayor, Budget Office seek community feedback on how Boston's annual budget resources are allocated Boston Mayor Michelle Wu BOSTON - Thursday, February 10, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Budget Management (OBM) today announced a series of listening sessions in partnership with the Boston City Council to both educate residents and solicit public feedback on the FY2023 Operating Budget and FY23-27 Capital Plan, ahead of the Mayor submitting each to the City Council. At the sessions, OBM will outline the budget process and highlight changes made through the recent ballot initiative Boston City Council President Ed Flynn  vote. Through its passage, it alters the City Council’s role in approving the budget and calls for the creation of a participatory budgeting model. The City will solicit public feedback to inform the annual budget, federal recovery funding from the American Rescue Plan, and the new participatory budgeting model.   Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy (left)。 “This came about after the leadership of community partners, along with City Councilors, to assure the City Council would have a larger partnership in ensuring our City’s dollars are equitably allocated according to the needs, interests and visions of our residents,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “The community listening sessions represent an opening up of the process to residents from the very beginning.”    Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Ways and Means  “It is critical that we develop a budget for the City of Boston that addresses our long-standing needs, such as housing affordability and stability, public health, public and pedestrian safety, climate resiliency and sustainability, and equitable access to city services,” said Boston City Council President Ed Flynn. “Thank you to Mayor Wu and her team for working with the City Council and providing this opportunity for neighbors to offer feedback on the best use of taxpayer dollars that will continue to help move us forward in Boston’s economic recovery.”  “With great enthusiasm, I look forward to the commencement of the Budget Listening Sessions on the horizon,” said Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Ways and Means . “These sessions offer our city an opportunity to help inform, through the power of the purse, what policies we want to pursue and community enterprises we want to platform. I look forward, as Ways and Means Chair, in playing an integral role in the decision making processes that will distribute our city's resources in an equitable and progressive manner.”  The budget is the most direct way the City of Boston invests in its residents' quality of life. Community engagement ensures that the City is spending its resources equitably and that the process is accessible for residents. Each listening session will be dedicated to collecting the public’s input, including through a survey. Budget Director Jim Williamson.  “It is crucial that we educate constituents about the City of Boston's budget and the process in which these resources are allocated,” said Chief of Community Engagement Brianna Millor. “Engaging our constituents empowers them to vocalize their needs and ensure that their City is working to address them.”  “OBM looks forward to sharing information on the annual budget process and welcomes collaboration with the Boston City Council and the residents of Boston to establish budget priorities for the next fiscal year,” said Budget Director Jim Williamson.  Residents are encouraged to share feedback at one of four virtual listening sessions, organized by City Council district: ·       Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 6 - 7pm | Districts 5, 6, 8 ·       Saturday, February 19, 2022, 1 - 2pm | Districts 1, 3, 4 ·       Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 6 - 7pm | Districts 2, 7, 9 ·       Friday, February 25, 2022,10 - 11am | Councilors-At-Large  The Mayor will submit the recommended budget to the City Council on April 13. A series of Council hearings will follow in May-June. The Council will vote to adopt, reject, amend, or reduce the Operating Budget by June 8, and the budget will be resubmitted by June 15. The new Fiscal Year starts July 1.   Interpretation services can be requested for the Zoom listening sessions upon registration. CART will be provided on February 15, 19, and 23. Feedback can be submitted in any language through the survey at bit.ly/3myT0LG, at the listening sessions, or by calling 311. For more information on how to participate, visit boston.gov/budget.

波士頓市撥340萬元資助192個藝術文化組織 華埠社區有5機構入選

(Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 和市長的藝術文化辦公室，以及波士頓文化協會 (BCC) 在2月9日宣佈，撥發342萬2千元給192個藝術及文化組織，支持這些組織的營運，紓緩他們遭受的新冠病毒打擊。                波士頓市和波士頓文化協會合作，每年都撥發大約200萬元支持藝術文化組織的營運。今年波士頓文化協會共發了64萬3677元，其中26萬6千元來自麻州文化協會，37萬7千元來自波士頓市府。               這是連續第3年，波士頓文化協會的補助款額度是由預算規模決定的。今年波士頓文化協會決定把資助結構轉移為預算較最低的組織可得到最高補助款的模式，期以支持新興的，一般沒有籌款計畫的中型組織。               波士頓文化協會主席Jenniger Falk表示，在持續倡議公眾投資支持藝術下，人們可以打造出社區需要，創意人可以成長的藝術景觀。               今年撥發的補助款中，有278萬元來自美國援救計畫法案 (ARPA)一次性的重啟創意波士頓 (Reopen Creative Boston)經費。                    2021年3月十，麻州非牟利及市鎮文化組織報稱，從新冠病毒大流行發生以來，損失了5億8800萬元營收。      根據波士頓市府公佈的名單，華埠社區有亞美社區發展協會 (ACDC)、亞裔文化資源中心 (AARW) ，波士頓華埠社區中心 (BCNC) ，廣教中文學校，以及由華裔曲悅鳴和Qianru Wang創辦，以愛默生(Emerson)學院為基地的創劇社 (CHUANG Stage)等至少5個機構爭取到舉辦文化藝術活動的經費補助。              查詢完整獲得經費的組織名單，可上網https://airtable.com/shrV1m4bE72mO4DOc/tblZr8X9or2oqtrWZ。 MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $3.4 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED TO LOCAL  ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS 192 arts and cultural organizations received grants totaling $3,422,000 as part of the City’s Boston Cultural Council grants and Reopen Creative Boston ARPA funding.

BOSTON - Wednesday, February 9, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Cultural Council (BCC), today announced 192 arts and cultural organizations have been awarded grants as part of this year’s Boston Cultural Council/Reopen Creative Boston funding. The City awarded a total of $3,422,000 in grants for general operating support and COVID-19 relief.  “This year’s group of grantees are a wonderful reflection of the diversity and vibrancy of Boston’s arts community,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “From small dance groups, to organizations that focus on engaging communities through film, to some of Boston’s most beloved cultural institutions, each one of these groups plays a vital role shaping our city.” Every year, the City works with the Boston Cultural Council (BCC) to distribute grants for general operating support to organizations with budgets under $2 million that offer some type of arts or cultural programming in Boston. This year, the BCC awarded a total of $643,677, which consisted of $266,000 from Mass Cultural Council and $377,000 from City funds. For the third year in a row, BCC grant amounts were determined by budget size. The BCC made the decision this year to shift the funding structure so that organizations with the lowest budgets received the highest grant amounts. This funding strategy aims to better support emerging to medium-sized organizations who typically do not have scaled fundraising initiatives to support their programming. “In response to the funding disparities illuminated by the pandemic, the BCC made the decision this year to commit the highest grant amounts to those organizations with the smallest budgets, which are also often the most marginalized”, said Jennifer Falk, Chair, Boston Cultural Council. “With sustained advocacy for public investment in the arts, we together can build the arts landscape that communities need and that our creative stakeholders can grow in.” An additional $2.78 million was awarded this year through Reopen Creative Boston funding. This one-time funding, allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), aims to support the recovery of arts and culture organizations from the economic impact of COVID-19 and reopen their programming to the public. In March 2021, Massachusetts nonprofit and municipal cultural organizations reported more than $588 million in lost revenue since the start of the pandemic. Organizations of all budget sizes were eligible to receive ARPA COVID-19 relief funding to cover costs related to reopening and restarting programs, including payroll, new technology, and consulting services.  “Urbanity Dance is deeply grateful to the Mayor's Office and the City of Boston for their support through the Reopen Creative Boston funding opportunity,” said Stacy Handler, Managing Director of Urbanity Dance. “This is the largest grant Urbanity has ever received, and these funds will meaningfully impact our ability to keep our doors open; retain our hardworking staff, faculty, and dancers; and continue to engage our community through our dance and movement-based programming. The ripple effects of this support will be far reaching, impacting the lives of thousands of Bostonians.” “Arts, culture, and creative industries have been devastated by the pandemic,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture. “This year's grantees have faced significant hurdles, but they also shared with us the exciting and innovative ways that they are making new work, staying connected to their communities, and helping our cultural scene come back to life.” The complete list of grantee organizations can be found here.  About the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is a City agency that enhances the quality of life, the economy, and the design of the City through the arts. The role of the arts in all aspects of life in Boston is reinforced through equitable access to arts and culture in every community, its public institutions, and public places. Key areas of work include support to the cultural sector through grants and programs, support of cultural facilities and artist workspace, as well as the commissioning, review, and care of art in public places. Learn more at boston.gov/arts.  About the Boston Cultural Council The Boston Cultural Council (BCC), under the umbrella of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, consists of a diverse, volunteer body of Boston residents with lived experience in a variety of artistic disciplines. It annually distributes funds allocated by the City of Boston and the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, to support innovative arts, humanities and interpretive sciences programming that enhances the quality of life in our city. For more information, please visit here.

麻州長查理貝克宣佈2月28日起取消 K-12 學校戴口罩規定

           (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker) 和中小學教育廳 (DESE)廳長Jeffrey C. Riley今 (9) 日宣佈，全州幼稚園到12年級(k-12) 學校的戴口罩規定，2月28日起取消。

         麻州中小學教育廳及麻州公共衛生廳( DPH)仍建議學生及教職員在某些場合遵循教育廳的新冠病毒規定。學生搭乘校巴時，則須遵循聯邦政府規定，依舊得戴口罩。

          Jeffrey C. Riley表示，該廳從2021年10月發出戴口罩規定後，已3次展延該規定實施日期，現在是諮詢過傳染病醫生，麻州公共衛生廳，以及其他醫療專家後，做此決定。

          接種疫苗仍是防止染患新冠病毒的最佳保護，在全美各州中，麻州年輕人的新冠疫苗接種率是最高之一。麻州已完整接種新冠疫苗的人中，也已有52%注射了加強劑，比全美的42%為高。

         在學校檢測上，麻州在全美也名列前茅，最近還為學生及教育者推出了居家檢測項目。這些檢測選擇將保留不變。

        麻州州長查理貝克表示，小孩子的感染機率不高，即使染患，病情也多半很輕，再加上麻州小孩子接種疫苗率是全美最高之一，麻州又有很蓬勃的檢測項目，現在是取消在學校內得戴口罩規定的時候，讓學生及老師經歷2年挑戰後，恢復正常。他也相信在麻州新冠病毒的治理進入下一階段之際，已有更多工具可以保持學校安全。

          在取消戴口罩規定後，80%師生已接種新冠疫苗的各學區，將不再需要向教育廳申請豁免在學校樓宇內戴口罩的規定。不論接種率多寡，戴不戴口罩，將成為麻州各學區自己的選擇。

           截至目前，麻州已有68所學校師生接種率超過80%，遞交了豁免戴口罩申請。DESE也已批准了42宗申請案，並正在審查其他21宗申請案。

麻州有2000所公私立學校參加了麻州政府的新冠病毒檢測計畫，從麻州教育廳和公共衛生廳已取得相當多學校的 ”檢測並留校” 新冠病毒數據來看，截至1月，他們已做過950萬又3000多人次檢測，約99%結果是陰性，所以學校是很安全的教學環境。新冠病毒措施對學生們的影響，反而是心理健康，情緒好壞，以及學習效果。

 Statewide School Mask Requirement Will Be Lifted February 28

MALDEN – Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced today the statewide mask requirement for K-12 schools will be lifted on February 28. At that time, DESE and the Department of Public Health recommend students and faculty wear masks in certain scenarios consistent with DESE’s COVID protocols.
 
The decision was made in consultation with infectious disease physicians, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and other medical experts. Vaccinations are the best protection against COVID-19, and Massachusetts has among the highest vaccination rates of young people and is a national leader in overall vaccination. In Massachusetts, 52 percent of all individuals who are fully vaccinated have received a booster dose, compared to 42 percent of the national population.
 
Massachusetts also has nation-leading school testing programs, including a newly launched at-home testing program for students and educators. These testing options will remain in place.
 
“With Massachusetts a national leader in vaccinating kids, combined with our robust testing programs, it is time to lift the mask mandate in schools and give students and staff a sense of normalcy after dealing with enormous challenges over the past two years,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We have all the tools to keep schools safe as we move into dealing with the next phase of managing COVID.”
 
“Schools are safe environments, most children now have had access to vaccinations that greatly reduce the risk for severe disease for several months, and thousands of families across the Commonwealth have taken this opportunity to protect their children,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “This is the right time to lift the mask mandate, and we will continue to encourage vaccination and host clinics at any school that wants to hold one to further protect their students from COVID.”
 
The Department of Early Education and Care will also lift the mask requirements currently in place for all licensed child care providers effective February 28, and allow programs to develop policies specific to the children they serve. The Department of Early Education and Care will release additional guidance for programs next week. 
 
With the lifting of the statewide mask requirement, school districts no longer need to request a waiver from DESE to remove masks in school buildings where 80 percent of staff and students are vaccinated. Masking will be a community choice in schools across the Commonwealth, regardless of vaccination rates within a school; however, a school district could establish a local requirement. Many schools across the Commonwealth have already reached the vaccination benchmark and requested permission to remove masks. To date, DESE has received 68 requests from schools that submitted attestations that 80 percent of their students and staff are vaccinated. The Department has approved 42 requests and is in the process of reviewing another 21 requests before the statewide requirement ends.
 
“In a state with one of the highest vaccine acceptance rates in the country, and the state with the second highest vaccination rates among 5- to 11-year-olds, we must navigate the careful transition into opening up our society while simultaneously employing public health mitigation strategies. We are moving from mask requirement to mask optional, and we want school districts to move along with the state by making it optional, while still creating supportive environments for students and staff who choose to wear a mask,” said Education Secretary James Peyser.
 
Several other states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, have rescinded their school mask requirements in recent days.
 
The state’s nation-leading, robust school testing programs will remain in place. Last month, DESE and DPH launched updated school COVID-19 testing options, including providing participating teachers and staff with at-home rapid tests weekly, to optimize in-person learning. The two departments also released updated data on the pooled testing and Test and Stay programs, showing very few positive cases and low transmission rates.
 
With more than 2,000 public and private schools in the Commonwealth participating in COVID-19 testing, DESE and DPH have gathered robust data about the prevalence of COVID-19 in schools that clearly illustrates schools are safe environments for teaching and learning. Schools are one of the few types of settings in the state where individuals are tested on a regular basis.

Data collected over the past few months from the Test and Stay program is compelling around what it reveals about school safety. Students and staff individually identified as asymptomatic close contacts and repeatedly tested in school through Test and Stay test negative more than 90 percent of the time. As of January 9, 503,312 Test and Stay tests had been conducted; 496,440 of them were negative (almost 99 percent).
 
“During the past two years, the impact of COVID-19 on children has caused a strain on their mental health, emotional well-being and academic success. We are relieved to now be in a place where we can provide young people additional relief from COVID-19 restrictions so they can continue to return to normalcy in the classroom,” said Commissioner Riley.
 
Masking continues to be required on all school buses, per federal order.
 
In August, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the commissioner the authority to require masks for public school staff and students (ages 5 and above) in all grades through at least October 1, 2021. The commissioner used his authority to extend the requirement three times.   

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