Tom Menino may have been laid up for two months in his Hyde Park home, but he's hardly been out of action. In fact, Hizzoner seems to have quietly been […]
Michael Jonas
Michael Jonas works with Laura in overseeing CommonWealth Beacon coverage and editing the work of reporters. His own reporting has a particular focus on politics, education, and criminal justice reform.
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Be happy we’re not New York. But not too happy.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 In a new study claiming to rank the level of happiness among Americans, New Yorkers finish dead last in 51st place (the study included Washington, DC […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Property bill story makes for a taxing read
Boston homeowners are probably in a bad enough mood after learning they will absorb an increase in their property tax bill next year. They might just be pulling their hair […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Bay State’s bridge to nowhere
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 On the state's sudden reversal and decision not to spend $9 million in federal stimulus money for a footbridge over Route 1 that would connect an […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Ed bill packs a punch, but
The legislation released last week by Beacon Hill's education committee approved yesterday by the state Senate was labeled the "Education Reform Act of 2009." That's pretty grand language to live […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Campus hate speech
Nearly everyone condemns the scheduled appearance tomorrow by convicted terror bomber Raymond Luc Levasseur at UMass-Amherst. But the efforts by Gov. Deval Patrick and UMass President Jack Wilson to stop […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Ted Sizer
Ted Sizer, the noted education thinker who died last month, was known nationally as founder of the Essential Schools movement, but made his biggest mark here in Massachusetts. His ideas […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Flaherty as change agent a shaky idea from the start
If there was a path to upset victory in yesterday's Boston mayoral race, it was never going to run through Michael Flaherty's "Good/Better" campaign, which always seemed to suggest that […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
It’s the teachers, stupid
Our cover story in the new issue of CommonWealth explores the outmoded, industrial-model teacher policies that are holding our schools back. It is increasingly clear that teachers are the key […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Download
School facts not friendly to Menino, but that’s not the biggest problem
The troubled state of the Boston public schools is Mayor Tom Menino’s Achilles’ heel. The woeful performance of the schools has surfaced over and over during the mayoral campaign, including […]
Posted inEducation
School facts not friendly to Menino, but that’s not the biggest problem
The troubled state of the Boston public schools is Mayor Tom Menino’s Achilles’ heel. The woeful performance of the schools has surfaced over and over during the mayoral campaign, including […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Fact-check: The US Senate debate
By Michael Jonas and Bruce Mohl The four Democratic candidates for US Senate met last night at the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester in the first formal debate of […]
Posted inEconomy
Foreclosure limbo continues for retiree in Dorchester
the good news for Helen Williams is that two years after receiving an initial foreclosure notice, she hasn’t lost her house. The bad news is that she still doesn’t know […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Why some Boston voters may be holding their noses at the polls
The timing of today's indictment of two former Boston firefighters, including the infamous "disabled" bodybuilder, Albert Arroyo, and one civilian department employee on various charges related to bogus disability claims […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Menino still in pole position
Today's Boston Globe offers mostly very good news for Mayor Tom Menino, who holds a commanding lead over challenger Michael Flaherty in a new Globe poll with just over three […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Charter schools — how dare they want the best for their students?
Writing in last week's Boston Phoenix, Chris Faraone tees up some of the controversies surrounding charter schools in Boston. One big beef of charter critics that he lays out in […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Charter schools and spaghetti?
Thursday, October 8, 2009 Granted, the connection is not immediately obvious. But this post on the indispensable Eduwonk employs a nifty marinara metaphor to frame the case for charter schools […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Galluccio road show growing tired
So now we have what passes for an explanation from Anthony Galluccio for what happened late Sunday afternoon at a Cambridge intersection. Let's just say it doesn't pass the smell […]
Posted inPolitics
Galluccio road show growing tired
So now we have what passes for an explanation from Anthony Galluccio for what happened late Sunday afternoon at a Cambridge intersection. Let’s just say it doesn’t pass the smell […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Combatting the debt culture
David Brooks says we need to get ready for the next culture war. Not a divisive showdown over social issues to be dreaded, this is a battle, he says, to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Flaherty/Yoon team-up throws Mayor-for-Life a curve
Today’s announcement that failed Boston mayoral hopeful Sam Yoon will join an unofficial ticket with finalist Michael Flaherty injects a bit of excitement into what was shaping up to be […]
Posted inPolitics
Flaherty/Yoon team-up throws the Mayor-for-Life a curve
Today’s announcement that failed Boston mayoral hopeful Sam Yoon will join an unofficial ticket with finalist Michael Flaherty injects a bit of excitement into what was shaping up to be […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Turn toward politics a natural one for City Year cofounder
The newest name in the US Senate sweepstakes: Alan Khazei, cofounder of the national service organization City Year, who says he's considering entering the Democratic primary for the seat held […]