Legislation has been filed to authorize “safe injection sites” in Massachusetts. They can lower overdose rates, but there’s little evidence that they help stem the larger opioid crisis.
James Peyser
Posted inOpinion
Does rent control help or hurt the quest for affordable housing?
Enacting a state law allowing rent control and imposing a “transfer fee” on high-end real estate sales are appealing proposals but opponents say they could have unintended negative effects.
Posted inOpinion
Should we repeal the state’s right-to-shelter guarantee?
Massachusetts is the only state with a right-to-shelter law, a distinction that is drawing criticism and praise as the state grapples with a surge of homeless migrants arriving here.
Posted inOpinion
Should the MBTA be free?
Advocates say fare-free MBTA service would yield environmental gains while addressing income inequality since many passengers are low income, while opponents say it would starve the T of revenue needed for upgrades.
Posted inOpinion
Should community college be free?
Eliminating tuition and fees for degree programs at community colleges for all in-state residents, regardless of financial need, has broad appeal, but some say it may not be the best way to reach the goal of expanded access to higher education.
Posted inOpinion
Some guideposts for restoring civic discourse
Our public debates favor controversy and often gloss over important details and trade-offs. The result: important issues get oversimplified and decision-making becomes dysfunctional.
Posted inOpinion
Restoring civic discourse by embracing complexity
Sometimes things are simpler than they seem. But other times, maybe most of the time, things actually are complicated, with at least two sides to every story.
Posted inEducation
Baker education legacy: continuity and change
EDUCATION REFORM AND improvement is a journey, not a destination. And the timeline for meaningful impact tends to be generational, certainly not contained within a single gubernatorial administration – even one that lasts two terms. Nonetheless, the work of the Baker-Polito administration over the past eight years has generated significant progress that has the potential […]
Posted inEducation
Bringing efficiency to public higher education
HIGHER EDUCATION can be hidebound and slow-moving. In some instances – such as the pomp and circumstance of commencements – adherence to tradition and ceremony are essential to the academic experience. But the emergence of disruptive forces in higher education – including a demographic decline that will shrink the pool of college-age students and the […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion, Politics
Teacher licensure system needs overhaul
TEACHER LICENSURE IN the Commonwealth is a time-consuming, complex system, costing millions of dollars each year, and it is in need of reform. Massachusetts offers 47 different kinds of teacher licenses, depending on subject area and grade level. Each of these licenses comes in four levels, mostly based on a teacher’s experience. There are up […]