State Representative Alice H. Peisch
Serving the 14th Norfolk District
LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND
During the 2023-2024 session, Representative Peisch refiled her Educator Diversity Act, aimed at ensuring a diverse and effective education workforce. The bill required diversity and implicit bias training for those working in schools and required the Department of Education to implement a comprehensive diversity plan. The Department of Education would implement diversity goals and collect related data, alongside school districts requirements to create a diversity plan and have a diversity offer or team. This bill was included in part in the 2024 Economic Development bill, also known as the Mass LEADS Act.
During the 2021-2022 session, Representative Peisch co-chaired the Early Education & Care Budget Review Commission, which issued its final report in March 2022. The report outlined dozens of policy and budgetary recommendations that the Legislature can address to expand access to affordable, equitable, and high-quality early education and childcare. While the pandemic exposed many of the issues facing families and childcare providers, these issues of access and affordability have been the reality for many years. Representative Peisch advocated for an historic increase in state budget dollars for early education in the FY23 budget, the first step in addressing these crucial issues.
As Education Committee Chair, Representative Peisch co-chaired the Foundation Budget Review Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the state’s formula for calculating funding for school districts. The Commission submitted a final report containing recommendations for changes to the Foundation Budget in the fall of 2015. She also filed legislation to help expand access to high-quality early education programs across the Commonwealth, a key priority for many Legislators. This led to the 2019 passage of the Student Opportunity Act, the most comprehensive and wide-ranging education reform legislation since the 1993 reform act. The bill will direct over $2 billion to school districts and students from the most underserved and under-resourced districts in Massachusetts. The ultimate goal of this legislation is to level the playing field in Massachusetts public schools by providing the necessary resources to ensure access to equitable, high-quality public school education.
During the 2013-2014 session, Representative Peisch headed up efforts on legislation that updated the 2010 Anti-Bullying law to ensure additional protections for vulnerable students and to require that schools collect and submit annual data on bullying incidents in order to help policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying efforts across the Commonwealth.
In addition to her education-related work, Representative Peisch remains committed to other issues of concern to all residents of the Commonwealth. She was the lead sponsor of legislation passed in 2012 that is intended to reduce the number of deaths due to drug overdoses by ensuring limited liability to overdose victims or those in their presence if emergency medical services are contacted. In 2014, Representative Peisch worked to include language within the legislature’s domestic violence omnibus bill that ensures confidentiality of victims’ identities. Furthermore, she remains a tireless advocate within the legislature to push for better service throughout the commuter rail system, understanding the need for the state to provide reliable transportation to those living and working in the Greater Boston region.
During the 2011-2012 session, Representative Peisch spearheaded legislation improving the governance, financial accountability, and state and local oversight of education collaboratives after state investigations revealed misuse of collaborative funds. Her efforts led to the adoption of legislation requiring fingerprint-based national criminal history background checks for all teachers, school employees and early education providers in the Commonwealth. This legislation brought Massachusetts in line with all other states in requiring these employees to undergo a national criminal history record check. For her work on education collaboratives, Representative Peisch received the 2012 Walter G. Turner Award from the National Association of Educational Service Agencies.
During the 2021-2022 session, Representative Peisch co-chaired the Early Education & Care Budget Review Commission, which issued its final report in March 2022. The report outlined dozens of policy and budgetary recommendations that the Legislature can address to expand access to affordable, equitable, and high-quality early education and childcare. While the pandemic exposed many of the issues facing families and childcare providers, these issues of access and affordability have been the reality for many years. Representative Peisch advocated for an historic increase in state budget dollars for early education in the FY23 budget, the first step in addressing these crucial issues.
As Education Committee Chair, Representative Peisch co-chaired the Foundation Budget Review Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the state’s formula for calculating funding for school districts. The Commission submitted a final report containing recommendations for changes to the Foundation Budget in the fall of 2015. She also filed legislation to help expand access to high-quality early education programs across the Commonwealth, a key priority for many Legislators. This led to the 2019 passage of the Student Opportunity Act, the most comprehensive and wide-ranging education reform legislation since the 1993 reform act. The bill will direct over $2 billion to school districts and students from the most underserved and under-resourced districts in Massachusetts. The ultimate goal of this legislation is to level the playing field in Massachusetts public schools by providing the necessary resources to ensure access to equitable, high-quality public school education.
During the 2013-2014 session, Representative Peisch headed up efforts on legislation that updated the 2010 Anti-Bullying law to ensure additional protections for vulnerable students and to require that schools collect and submit annual data on bullying incidents in order to help policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of anti-bullying efforts across the Commonwealth.
In addition to her education-related work, Representative Peisch remains committed to other issues of concern to all residents of the Commonwealth. She was the lead sponsor of legislation passed in 2012 that is intended to reduce the number of deaths due to drug overdoses by ensuring limited liability to overdose victims or those in their presence if emergency medical services are contacted. In 2014, Representative Peisch worked to include language within the legislature’s domestic violence omnibus bill that ensures confidentiality of victims’ identities. Furthermore, she remains a tireless advocate within the legislature to push for better service throughout the commuter rail system, understanding the need for the state to provide reliable transportation to those living and working in the Greater Boston region.
During the 2011-2012 session, Representative Peisch spearheaded legislation improving the governance, financial accountability, and state and local oversight of education collaboratives after state investigations revealed misuse of collaborative funds. Her efforts led to the adoption of legislation requiring fingerprint-based national criminal history background checks for all teachers, school employees and early education providers in the Commonwealth. This legislation brought Massachusetts in line with all other states in requiring these employees to undergo a national criminal history record check. For her work on education collaboratives, Representative Peisch received the 2012 Walter G. Turner Award from the National Association of Educational Service Agencies.
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24 Beacon St,
Boston, MA 02133 Massachusetts State House Room 235 (617) 722-2783 |
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