EDUCATION

Superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools, Sonia Dinnall, accompanied the students, teaching them about her job and showing them around the school district office.

Although standard vaccines are required by Massachusetts, it's up to local school districts to enforce the mandate - and they really don't want to keep children out of school.

This week on The Rundown, our panel takes on the local impacts of the federal government shutdown, a Legionella bacteria outbreak in Pittsfield, and what the latest MCAS test scores mean for Massachusetts students.

This week Massachusetts education officials announced the most results of the most recent standardized assessment exam known as the MCAS. Only 13 districts saw students meet pre-pandemic learning levels in both Math and English Language Arts. Massachusetts Education Commissioner Patrick Tutwiler told NEPM, the results are both understandable and to some degree predictable.

The Western Massachusetts Literacy Collaborative recently received a $190,000 grant from the Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education to train future educators

The results are "sobering" but "not insurmountable," Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Martinez said Monday the day the results of the educational assessment test scores were released.

The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to root out health care fraud, expanding a regional strike force into Boston.

On The Rundown with Carrie Saldo, panelists discuss changes to the MassWildlife board, how an aerial survey may solve New England's pyrrhotite problem, why school districts in the Berkshires are eyeing regionalization, and what happened at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Springfield.

We learn about an initiative to merge 6 towns into one regional school district in Franklin County, speak with the authors of "The Big E Book" as the fair descends upon western Mass., and discuss possible life on Mars with Mr. Universe.

Today on The Rundown with Carrie Saldo, panelists discuss rent control as western Mass. towns see tenant rights advocacy, how school districts are addressing infrastructure needs, inconsistent leadership in higher education and continued delays from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).