1300萬元公共衛生與安全補助款 波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn有話要說

President Flynn’s Statement on the $13 Million Public Health & Safety Grant to Office of Emergency Management

December 21, 2023

This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the City of Boston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) with Mayor Wu and the director of this office, Chief Shumean Benford. We discussed the critical role OEM plays not only in Boston, but throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Cities and towns rely on Boston, as the capital city, to support them in leading emergency management services, training, coordination and act as the fiscal steward of state and federal funding.

I have also spoken with senior City of Boston public safety officials about this important funding. This $13 million Urban Area Security Initiative grant provided to Mayor Wu’s Office of Emergency Management by President Biden and Governor Healey’s administrations is used to prevent, respond to, and recover from threats of acts of terrorism, not only for the City of Boston, but also for surrounding cities in the region. Ensuring the public’s health and safety is the most critical issue that impacts any city, and it is important that our city and region have the necessary resources and personnel to keep our residents and visitors safe.

I voted in favor of this grant, and I’m deeply disappointed that my City Council colleagues failed to provide the leadership necessary to protect our city and many cities and towns throughout Greater Boston.  As the President of the City Council, I am now asking Mayor Wu to resubmit the necessary paperwork next week to the City Council for a formal vote to accept this funding. If city officials fail to exercise that option, I will call for an emergency City Council meeting for next week to discuss our options and to encourage my colleagues to vote to support this funding. The status quo is not an option.

We must put politics aside, and focus on the safety of our residents as a top priority.  As a member of the U.S Navy, I have studied anti-terrorism issues in different regions across the globe. I understand how dangerous the world is and that Boston is not immune from a terrorist attack. As the launching site for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the site of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the people of Boston know all too well what’s at stake. Delaying or blocking this funding any further only puts our people at higher risk, and that is something that our City and Commonwealth cannot afford.

Governor Healey Nominates Jennifer Currie for Juvenile Court

  Governor Healey Nominates Jennifer Currie for Juvenile Court   

BOSTON – Governor Maura T. Healey today nominated Jennifer Currie for Massachusetts Juvenile Court. Her nomination will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation.  

“I’m excited to nominate Attorney Currie to our Juvenile Court,” said Governor Healey. “She is deeply committed to her work and has significant experience supporting both children, families and attorneys involved with the Juvenile Court and the Department of Children and Families in Worcester County, which will serve her well in this new position on the Juvenile Court. We look forward to hearing from the Governor’s Council as they consider these nominations.” 

“Throughout her career, Attorney Currie has proven herself to be a compassionate attorney who understands the ins and outs of the Juvenile Court and how to best support all parties involved,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We are proud to nominate her and grateful for the work of the Governor’s Council as they review her candidacy.”  

Jennifer Currie currently represents clients in criminal, care and protection, and personal injury matters in Juvenile, District and Superior Court at Ricciardi & Ricciardi, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she has worked since 2007. She has dedicated much of her practice to representing indigent children of Worcester County.  Her work has included representing parties in Department of Children and Families Fair Hearings and investigations. Additionally, she has worked with the Committee for Public Counsel Services since 2008, including serving as the Worcester Juvenile Court Supervising Attorney for the past four years. Her work has been focused on representing children and parents in Juvenile Court proceedings. She volunteers each year with the Fill the Treehouse event to support children and families battling childhood cancers, has served as the Community Service Chair of the Harvard Family Association Board and has volunteered with the Town of Harvard’s Athletic programs. Attorney Currie has a B.A. from Providence College and a J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law, and she lives in Harvard, Massachusetts with her husband and two children. 

The mission of the Juvenile Court is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to promote opportunities for children to reside in safe, stable, permanent family environments, to strengthen families, to rehabilitate juveniles, and to protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court Department has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters including delinquencies, youthful offender cases, care and protection matters and children requiring assistance cases. It has 42 judges, including the Chief Justice, sitting in over 40 courthouses. 

Governor Healey previously nominated Audrey Murillo and Fabiola White to the Juvenile Court. 

For more information about the Juvenile Court, visit its homepage. 

紐英崙中華專協換屆 游子揚、盧彥君依序接任董事長、會長

紐英崙中華專業人員協會 (NEACP) 12月16日開理事會，
新舊任幹部交接。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 紐英崙中華專業人員協會 (NEACP) 12月16日換屆，在波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮見證的隆重中，歡迎新任的董事長游子揚，會長盧彥君，歡送卸任的周萬欽、林致中，期待來年加強和會員、本地居民，以及學生團體的接觸、互動。

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮 (右起)見證紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長林致中，
董事長周萬欽卸任，由麻州大學土木環境教授游子揚，生物科技
公司科學家盧彥君依序接任董事長及會長。(周菊子攝)

              中華民國早年辦有「國家建設研討會」，每年從海外邀請各界專業人士回臺灣開會，交流經驗、分享知識，為建設國家提建議。1978年時，曾經應邀返台參加這會議，住在大波士頓的學者、教授、專家們，組織成立了NEACP，自行在本地做更深入交流。

              其後隨著時日延展，國建會已不復存在，NEACP也開放讓更多有心人加入，從各方面為國家、社區做貢獻。

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮 (左)代表僑委會，送上賀狀，恭喜
麻州大學教授游子揚接任中華專協董事長。(周菊子攝)

              過去這2年來，在卸任董事長，康州保險局總經算師（chief actuary）周萬欽，以及卸任會長，原為麻省總醫院 (MGH)博士後，11月應聘成為MGH講師 (Instructor) 的林致中，和一群年輕幹部合作無間，包括探望螢火蟲，欣賞哈佛建築，露營車行腳，自媒體經營，另類金融投資等一系列 活動，加上董事譚嘉陵憑藉著她個人和波士頓美術博物館 (MFA) 的私人關係，得以安排策展負責人親自出馬導覽的參觀活動，對聯才子袁尚賢主持，每年一度的元宵節猜燈謎聚會，中華專協的活動都精彩的讓社區期待。

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮 (右)代表僑委會，送上賀狀，恭喜
ModeX Therapeutics資深科學家盧彥君接任NEACP會長。(周菊子攝)

              為了促進大波士頓台灣人社團交流，林致中過去數個月來，還每月製作一張大波士頓地區社團活動預告海報，貼在臉書上和人分享。11月他喜獲新職時，一群年輕人特地印製了一張海報，推選他為「里長伯」。

              12月16日的新舊任幹部交接，活動簡單、隆重。出席董事、理事們推選出麻州大學羅爾分校土木及環境工程教授游子揚為新任董事長，ModeX Therapeutics資深科學家盧彥君為新任會長，由波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮代表僑委會送上謝函、賀函後，討論了來年會務方向及工作重點。

紐英崙中華專協開理事會換屆，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮致詞。

             新任董事長游子揚表示，該會將在因應現有挑戰之際，繼續元宵燈謎，夏日野餐，秋季年會等每年固定舉辦的活動外，努力增加與本地居民、學生團體的互動。

              16日這天出席的中華專協董事，除前述卸任，新任董事長及會長外，還有董事蔣宗壬、譚嘉陵、王子仁、李小玉、蔡明機，張重華、蘇信豪、彭淑敏，趙育川以及數名年輕幹事。    (僑務電子報:   https://ocacnews.net/article/357845?cid=2)

紐英崙中華專業人員協會卸任董事長周萬欽把會務資料
交給新任董事長游子揚。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙中華專業人員協會出席理事拿到2024年的僑委會月曆。(周菊子攝)

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮 (左)代表僑委會，送上感謝狀，感謝卸任的
專協董事長周萬欽為僑社服務。(周菊子攝)

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮 (左)代表僑委會，送上感謝狀，感謝卸任的
專協會長林致中為僑社服務。(周菊子攝)

MAYOR WU AND POWERCORPSBOS CELEBRATE GRADUATION OF THIRD COHORT

MAYOR WU AND POWERCORPSBOS CELEBRATE GRADUATION OF THIRD COHORT

BOSTON - Wednesday, December 20, 2023 - Mayor Michelle Wu today celebrated the graduation of PowerCorpsBOS’ third cohort. PowerCorpsBOS is a green jobs program that creates workforce development opportunities for young adults, particularly from Boston’s environmental justice communities, in fields that address pressing environmental challenges in Boston. The 29 graduates spent the past six months learning about various green industries and skill sets, including urban forestry and energy efficient building maintenance. "PowerCorps is essential in our work to invest in our young people, expand opportunity and build a Green New Deal city," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "This program provides crucial pathways through skills and job training to our young people - ensuring that our green workforce is accessible to all. Congratulations and thank you to this year's empowering graduating class for their commitment to strengthening Boston's foundation for a clean, resilient future!" Led by the Worker Empowerment Cabinet in partnership with the Environment Department, PowerCorpsBOS is a “learn and earn” program that pays Boston’s young adults ages 18-30 to participate in hands-on training and provides them with career readiness support, and connections to employers in the green industry. Priority populations for the program are marginalized groups, residents from environmental justice communities, as well as returning citizens, court-involved residents, youth who have experienced homelessness or housing instability, and youth who have been in foster care. “I am incredibly proud of our Cohort 3 graduates for dedicating the last six months to improving themselves personally and professionally while serving their communities,” said Davo Jefferson, Executive Director of PowerCorpsBOS. “It has been a privilege to witness first hand the positive impact PowerCorpsBOS has had in changing the trajectory of the lives of Boston’s young adults. Thank you to the employer and community partners who have made this work possible. Together, we will continue to provide our young people with these critical career pathways into the green industry.” "Being a Green New Deal city means we must move forward priorities that fall at the intersection of racial and economic justice– that open doors for our residents– to join us in the fight against climate change and the preservation of our green spaces," said Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space. "I am grateful to the PowerCorps graduates for dedicating themselves to learning these critical skills that will positively impact our communities for years to come."  PowerCorpsBOS offers two training pathways in Urban Forestry (UF) and Building Operation Systems (BOS). The Building Operations track was created in partnership with Roxbury Community College (RCC) and A Better City (ABC). Twenty-three graduates completed the UF track which covers the planting, maintenance, care and protection of tree populations. These participants assisted 101 acres of public land, removed 197 bags of invasive material, worked with 18 service project partners, planted 52 trees, pruned 21 trees, underwent eight hours of tree climbing training and eight hours of chainsaw training, earned three college credits from UMass Mount Ida in Arboriculture, and talked to 78 employees in the private and public industry. Six graduates completed the BOS track which provided training for jobs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in large buildings by learning skills to maintain building operations at peak efficiency. The curriculum included topics ranging from conducting energy audits to maintaining electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems. The participants earned several industry recognized certifications including a Building Operator Certification (BOC), Fundamentals in Energy Efficient Building Operations (FEEBO), Building Performance Institution (BPI) Certificate, and a Green Building Professional - Operations and Maintenance (GPRO) certificate.  “PowerCorps has been a life changer for me and led me on a path to a bright future,” said PowerCorps graduate Ricky Bradley-White. “I have sharpened my skills and earned certifications that will help me secure a meaningful quality job. This experience was more than I have ever expected and was worth every moment. I highly recommend this program  to anyone who lives in Boston and is looking for a career change.” “PowerCorps Boston has done so much for me throughout these past six months,” said PowerCorps graduate Daquan Dixon. “Everything I have learned has been a tool to unlock my true potential. I got the opportunity to experience things I never could have imagined. The program has taught me that the tools are there; it's up to you to reach out and grab them.”   PowerCorpsBOS plans to increase the program duration from six months to ten months to offer participants a more comprehensive and immersive experience and enhance the depth of the program's curriculum. The new schedule will align with the traditional college academic calendar and seeks to capitalize on peak hiring seasons in the green industry. Learn more about PowerCorpsBOS at boston.gov/powercorps.

麻州政府撥款85萬元資助4機構增加學前教育服務

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $850,000 Investment

in Early Literacy for Preschoolers 

In Malden, Administration highlights early literacy focus in universal pre-k classrooms

 MALDEN — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced this morning at the Mystic Valley YMCA that they are awarding $850,000 to four organizations to increase access to evidence-based and culturally responsive literacy supports for Massachusetts preschoolers, enhancing school readiness and future academic achievement. These initiatives include coaching and professional development for districts focused on universal preschool, identifying preschool language and literacy assessments for districts to use, as well as creating a Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit to support children of all abilities.

Education Secretary Tutwiler, Early Education and Care Commissioner Kershaw, Malden Mayor Christenson and State Representatives Ultrino and Donato visited preschool classrooms today to see an early literacy lesson in action, as well as discuss with local partners how the state’s Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) is supporting Malden to expand access to high quality preschool in public and community-based settings, including support in selecting high-quality preschool curriculum that integrates evidence-based practices in early literacy. 

“Literacy is foundational to a student’s ability to succeed in school and beyond,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our administration is committed to improving early literacy—and we’re starting by expanding this effort into our preschool classrooms. We’re taking a data-informed approach to push effective literacy strategies, high quality curriculum, and professional development that can improve learning outcomes for all of our students.” 

“Our administration is approaching early literacy with urgency. We’re committed to investing in programs that support our younger students and ensure they are using materials and strategies backed by evidence,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. 

“The Healey-Driscoll administration is prioritizing evidence-based early literacy because of the simple, yet profound reality that establishing literacy skills early is not only foundational to the remainder of that students’ education, it is foundational to the remainder of his or her life,” said Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. “I am proud that our agencies are working together to further expand efforts to our preschoolers, setting up our youngest students for lifelong learning and success. We have to get this right.” 

Through a new multi-pronged, cross-agency effort by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Administration is increasing access to evidence-based and culturally responsive early literacy programming for early education and care programs. A portion of the funding will be used to assess the early education and preschool field to better understand where high quality literacy materials and professional development should be targeted. Other funds will go toward increasing access to preschool language and literacy assessments so educators can identify where students are struggling and make informed adjustments, known as responsive teaching. This investment will also support the development of a Massachusetts Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit to guide transition planning for children of all abilities across the state’s mixed delivery early education system. Together, these efforts will create more high-quality learning environments and implementation of practices that are data-driven and grounded in equity. 

“It is critical we support early education programs and schools to intentionally align policies, curricula and assessments to ensure a smooth transition between preschool and kindergarten – which is essential for a child’s educational success and love of reading,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “Early education is the start of the educational journey for our youngest learners. I am proud to be partnering with our education colleagues and these organizations to develop and provide programs with resources and supports so children can develop the language and literacy skills they need, closing the learning gap before they enter kindergarten.” 

This investment in high quality, effective early literacy programming supports for preschoolers expands DESE’s Mass Literacy initiative to early education students. This initiative helps every student develop language comprehension, fluent word reading, and writing skills they need to develop a strong foundation for literacy in grades preK-3. Also, under GLEAM (Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts) and Accelerating Literacy grants, DESE has been offering opportunities for districts to receive multi-year technical support and financial resources for improvements in ELA/Literacy teaching and learning. In the 2022-2023 school year, DESE released the Commonwealth’s own early literacy curriculum, a completely free, high-quality reading foundational skills curriculum for students in pre-K-2, called Appleseed. In an Appleseeds district, kindergarten students at or above reading benchmark went from 28% to 85% in just one year. 

“Early literacy is a shared priority, and I’m glad to continue our work with the Department of Early Education and Care in support of our youngest learners,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “Efforts such as this funding, combined with the grants, training and resources we’ve made available to K-12 schools, will help our students become more successful readers and learners.” 

The $850,000 comes from several funding sources: $700,000 from CCPI funding in the fiscal year 2024 budget and $150,000 through the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5). Through CPPI, EEC funds districts across the state to develop partnerships between the school district and local private early education and care programs to expand access to high quality preschool within the district. Massachusetts was awarded a three-year, $36 million federal PDG B-5 grant in January 2023 to better promote the educational, health and economic outcomes of young children and their families across the Commonwealth.  

“This is a most important investment as we believe that the key to upward mobility in life is literacy,” said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “What makes this investment especially important is that it is targeted toward our preschoolers, which is critical in a city like ours with several community-based partners as well as the Malden Early Learning Center. Thanks to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our State Delegation for making this possible and for officially announcing it in our community.” 

“Massachusetts has consistently been a national leader in education, and now is the time for us to continue this investment by increasing access to high-quality and affordable early education and literacy,” said State Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “Focusing on evidence-based and culturally responsive early literacy programs will support our children from the start and set them up for future success down the line.” 

“We are thrilled that the Healey-Driscoll Administration is allocating $850,000 towards early education and literacy programs,” said State Representative Paul Donato (D – Medford). “As a long-standing advocate of childhood education, I recognize that is it extremely important to build a strong educational foundation starting from a young age. The children in Malden and in the rest of the state will greatly benefit under the guidance and support of Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Tutwiler, and Commissioner Kershaw.” 

“As an educator and a former school principal, I have seen first-hand how important early literacy is in shaping our children’s future,” said State Representative Steven Ultrino (D – Malden). “Here in Malden, we are fortunate to have teachers and staff who are dedicated to helping our students develop these critical, foundational skills. With the additional investment and leadership from Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Tutwiler, and Commissioner Kershaw, we can ensure that all young students in Malden, and across the Commonwealth, are equipped to succeed in the classroom and beyond.” 

"Early literacy is essential in providing young students with a solid foundation for their educational journey, and the legislature has recognized this imperative by appropriating historic increases in state funding for our early education and childcare ecosystem in recent legislative sessions, including for the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative,” said State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D – Melrose). “As a former teacher, education attorney, and the mother of two elementary school learners, I am especially mindful of the impact of evidence-based early literacy programs such as the CPPI on closing opportunity gaps, and I am thrilled to see state investments directed to Malden to expand high-quality preschool curriculum for students in my district." 

 The organizations receiving awards are: 

Organization	Award Amount	Project
Pyramid Model Consortium and Teaching Lab	$350,000 per organization	Conduct an assessment of preschools to better understand the supports programs need to implement evidence-based, culturally responsive practices. The assessment data will inform professional development for administrators and educators participating in CPPI. The money will also fund monthly coaching to CCPI teams to help them create high-quality learning environments and use data to inform instruction.
Institute for Child Success	$50,000	Identify valid, reliable, and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate preschool language and literacy assessments for Massachusetts preschool programs. Assessments will help educators tailor their instructional practices and supports.
WestEd	$100,000	Create the Massachusetts Preschool to Kindergarten Transition Toolkit for a mixed delivery system that is grounded in evidence-based practices and integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. The toolkit will be piloted at community and public preschool and kindergarten programs to support children of all abilities.

美國教育部把MIT加入歧視調查名單

           (Boston Orange 編譯) 10月7日哈馬斯襲擊以色列後，美國教育部正在調查的有歧視情況大學中，19日加入了麻省理工學院（MIT）。

美國教育部的人權辦公室網站週二 (19日)更新網站，把MIT加入了包括哈佛大學、哥倫比亞大學、康乃爾大學、賓州大學等在內的調查名單。

這些學校是因為在加薩 (Gaza) 的攻擊，以及隨後的以色列入侵事件發生後，校園內出現反猶太主義及伊斯蘭恐懼症事件而受到調查。

麻省理工學院發言人週二晚並未回應此事。

《民權法案》第六章禁止接受聯邦資助的機構基於種族、膚色或原始國籍而歧視。雖然教育部可以扣留學校的資助，但通常會尋求談判和解。

麻省理工學院校長莎莉·科恩布魯斯（Sally Kornbluth）是本月在美國眾議院教育和勞動力委員會就校園反猶太主義作證的三名大學領導人之一。哈佛大學的 Claudine Gay、賓夕法尼亞大學的Liz Magill和麻省理工學院的Sally Kornbluth因未能明確譴責種族滅絕猶太人的呼籲，違反了學校政策而受譴責。在那之後，Liz Magill辭職卸任了，而Kornbluth和Gay則得到了董事會的支援。

美國和歐盟認定哈馬斯被為恐怖組織。