Charlie Baker 3.jpg
3/1/2017 -Springfield- Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker meets with the editorial board of The Republican. (Don Treeger / The Republican)
(Treeger)
Although Gov. Charlie Baker believes voters made a mistake when they rejected a proposed charter school expansion, he said he respects the will of voters and will be looking to other models to help children in failing schools, including Springfield's "empowerment zone."
"I take the will of the voters pretty seriously. They made clear this wasn't something they wanted to do," Baker said of the charter school expansion. "I don't agree with it, I think it was a mistake, I think we didn't do what we should have done for a lot of kids and families in Massachusetts who deserve better."
The charter school expansion was on the ballot in November and overwhelmingly voted down, despite Baker's strong support. Since then, Baker has looked for other models to improve education. In particular, he has pointed to Springfield's empowerment zone, where middle schools are given more flexibility in hiring, scheduling and curriculum.
In an interview with editors and reporters from The Republican / MassLive.com on Wednesday, Baker reiterated his commitment to working with lawmakers who are proposing a statewide expansion of the empowerment zone model.
Baker said although it is too early to draw major conclusions about the model, which is in its second year, he has visited Duggan School, which is part of the zone, and "was really pleased by vibe, enthusiasm and energy and the sense of forward progress I saw there."
Baker also said he did not think the Department of Education should shy away from using receiverships to turn around failing schools, as the state has done in Holyoke, Southbridge and Lawrence. "I don't think the Board of Education should be shy about using that tool in the toolbox if they believe the community isn't going to get there on its own," Baker said.
On other issues:
The Council of State Governments Justice Center recently released a report recommending changes to the state's criminal justice system aimed at reducing recidivism through better programming for inmates and improved supervision upon release.
Some criminal justice activists were disappointed with the report because it did not suggest significant changes to sentencing practices, particularly regarding the use of mandatory minimum sentences. Some lawmakers and judicial officials have said they want to eliminate mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenses, a move prosecutors oppose.
Baker was asked whether more should be done to address sentencing practices.
Baker said Massachusetts already has the lowest incarceration rate in the U.S. and is already using diversion programs like drug courts and veterans courts. He said Massachusetts takes a less aggressive stance on using mandatory minimums than other states.
Baker called recidivism "the biggest problem in criminal justice in Massachusetts," which is why the task force focused its efforts there. "Forty percent of folks who go out the back door of the criminal justice system come back in the front door within a few years," Baker said.
Baker was non-committal on whether lawmakers should address other issues, like sentencing, which are not in the report. He said his priority is making sure the recommendations in the report pass the Legislature by June, and he has already proposed a $3.5 million bill to implement the first year of those recommendations.
"There are other issues people want to talk about with respect to criminal justice, and I think that's fine," Baker said. "I think we should have that conversation separate from this report."
On tourism, Baker has a rocky relationship with the officials running the state's tourism industry because of repeated budget cut proposals.
His most recent budget proposal would shift $3 million away from regional tourism councils toward grants for events celebrating the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony.
Baker said he holds an expansive view of tourism, which includes not just people on vacation but also people who visit for business and conferences. Baker said he and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash would "like to come up with a more explicit strategy for how to support this stuff," but he acknowledged that they have not yet figured that out.
Baker declined to weigh in on whether there would be a tax-free holiday next summer. This past year, lawmakers skipped the annual event because of the state's tight budget situation.
"That's definitely on the agenda for a spring discussion," Baker said.