Patrick, locals enticed by free community college plan

BYLINE: By Hillary Chabot

BOSTON -- Local education officials had one question about Gov. Deval Patrick's recent proposal to provide two years of free tuition to high school graduates at community colleges.

How do we pay for it?

Education Committee co-chair Sen. Robert Antonioni, D-Leominster, said most would agree providing education from cradle to career is a bold and impressive suggestion.

"I think it's a laudable goal. Community college is very often the entry point to post-high school education for most people who would otherwise not get a college education," Antonioni said. "The big question is: How do you pay for it?"

The tuition was part of a sweeping 10-year plan outlined by Patrick that included all-day kindergarten, extended school days and a higher emphasis on math and science education for both students and teachers.

The state has at least 20,000 unfilled jobs that require a two-year degree, making an investment in the state's 15 community colleges crucial, Patrick said. The colleges are currently the costliest in the nation, but Patrick hopes to change that by 2015.

Mount Wachusett Community College president Dan Asquino and Higher Education Committee Co-Chair Rep. Kevin Murphy were also concerned about the cost of the initiative.

Patrick, who spoke at the University of Massachusetts-Boston commencement Friday, rebuffed those questioning the plan.

"There will be those who will say we can't afford this ... These voices have always represented the resistance of human progress," Patrick said. "This is not simply about the future of our schools, this is about the future of our state."

He added that a blue-ribbon "readiness project" panel will work out how to decide how to pay for the proposal, which is being estimated to cost up to $1 billion annually.

"We know where we are headed, the job of that team will be to implement that," Patrick said.

Improving education is vital to the state to remain competitive when it comes to jobs, and because 85 percent of students who attend public education stay in Massachusetts, investing in them is vital, Patrick said.

The plan would also include:

* At least three years of high school math and science courses.

* An extended school year, which would give students additional time for art, music and athletics.

* Universal pre-kindergarten.

Asquino said the plan should be accepted for what it is -- a promising vision for the future of education.

"I think it's a brilliant plan. The Commonwealth's only resource is it's human talent, and this would help encourage that resource for years to come," Asquino said. "I think it's an investment in the Commonwealth's future."

Patrick also touched on old themes during his 15-minute speech, such as promising that he is committed to at least a second term -- if re-elected -- to see the plan through to 2015.

He also took pains to once again question the usefulness of MCAS, a position he had backed away from during the election.

"We have rightly focused on the need to test progress and achievement, but there are serious and thoughtful questions we don't ask about whether the test we use measures the skills that count," Patrick said.