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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday,
March 25, 2005
NEWTON 9 YEAR-OLD BRINGS 60 CLASSMATES TO STATE
HOUSE TO MARCH FOR METCO EQUITY
Last year, Noah went with his mother to METCO’s Annual Lobby Day. This year, he took all three 4th grade
classes from the Mason-Rice Elementary School in Newton to the State House
for METCO Lobby Day on March 15th for a first-hand look at the political process.
Noah’s teachers see a clear link between
the Civil Rights module of the 4th grade social studies curriculum
and the efforts to preserve the METCO program, which has been sending Boston
students of color to Newton since September 6, 1966. “It’s Brown v. Board
of Education, 50 years later. What a perfect opportunity to be part of the
history that is now!”, stated Principal Mark Springer. Today, seven of Noah’s
classmates are METCO students from Boston.
In addition to touring the State House and observing the METCO rally, Noah and his friends met with Newton
legislators, Senator Cynthia Creem and Representative Ruth Balser. The
seven METCO students, who come from all over Boston, looked forward to
meeting their own legislators who include new Speaker DiMasi,
Representatives Rush, Owens-Hicks, Sanchez, and St. Fleur and Senators
Wilkerson, Hart and Walsh.
METCO friends and supporters from the 38 participating
Massachusetts communities joined METCO students and their families at the
State House as part of the METCO March for Equity, advocating for an
additional $5 million in funding next year to support the highly effective
state education program.
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