Massachusetts Charter School Bills Set To Be Debated

BOSTON (AP) — Parents, students, teachers and others interested in the state's schools are expected to crowd into the Massachusetts Statehouse for a public hearing on nearly three dozen education-related bills.

The vast majority of the bills are related to charter schools, with proposals to create a moratorium on new charter schools, improve state reimbursements for charter schools, and ensure "charter school transparency and public accountability."

Tuesday's hearing before the Legislature's Education Committee comes days after Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled a bill that he said would let the state add up to a dozen new or expanded charter schools each year outside the existing cap on the schools in Massachusetts.

Critics say Baker's bill would end up creating a two-tier education system.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.