Op-Eds & Columns

In words unchanged since 1780, the education clause of our state’s Constitution reads that “[i]t shall be the duty of legislatures and magistrates, in all future periods of this commonwealth, to [...]

People sometimes ask me to point to a moment in my life that set me on a path to public office. The following is one of those moments. In the early 1970s, the doorbell rang in a sprawling Sisters [...]

Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature passed two bills — a sweeping piece of legislation to tackle climate change and one laser-focused on economic recovery. These bills have more in common [...]

We’ve faced the ravages of a global pandemic and economic crisis for over a year, marshaling as much courage and patience as humanly possible. Municipal leaders, health care and frontline [...]

Two years ago, The Daily Hampshire Gazette and I launched the Dear Jo column so that I could address constituent questions in a public forum in the name of transparency, accountability and [...]

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that COVID-19 is claiming one life every 33 seconds, with the death toll projected to rise to approximately 340,000 in the U.S. by year’s end. [...]

The basis of our democracy is that voters choose their leaders. Leaders do not choose their voters. Leaders cannot keep people from voting. And they certainly cannot prevent votes from being [...]

Here’s a question that my team and I field over and over again: What’s it going to take? What’s it going to take to fully reopen? What’s it going to take to reinstate nursing home visitation? [...]

Dear Jo: We’ve heard the Legislature voted to extend formal sessions through the end of this year. What does that mean? What will happen in the fall? — Julie and Adam Tanguay, Amherst   DEAR [...]

Dear all, Over the past weeks, I’ve received more than 300 emails, calls and social media messages from K-12 educators and families. More on top of that about early childhood education. And more [...]