On November 14, I spent my Friday focused on two of the most important issues facing our rural communities in the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district.
In the morning, I joined Representative Natalie Blais on a panel at a Massachusetts Association of School Committees and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents conference in Hyannis. The panel I was on focused on rural and low/declining enrollment schools — and the actions the *state must take* to ensure equitable opportunity to students in schools across our region.
We joined School Committee member and educator Jessica Corwin, Mohawk Superintendent Sheryl Stanton, and Mohawk School Committee Chair Martha Thurber at the Hyannis-based conference and I was so damn grateful for the group that assembled to strategize on next and necessary steps.
After the panel concluded, I was glad to participate in a webinar hosted by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts titled “Rural Realities: Advancing Health Equity in Western MA’s Rural Communities”. I talked about the challenges, but also the opportunities, facing our rural municipalities and how the state can help them thrive.
The other speakers on this webinar included:
- Laura Kittross, Public Health Program Manager, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission,
- Lisa Ranghelli, Director of Assessment and Capacity Building, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts,
- Phoebe Walker, Director of Community Health, Franklin Regional Council of Governments,
- with moderation by Andrea Freeman, Policy Director, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.
Watch the webinar here. View the slides from the webinar here.
