Former Massachusetts Senate President Thomas Birmingham, who helped guarantee passage of the the state’s landmark 1993 schooling legislation, has died. He was 73.
Birmingham grew up within the working class metropolis of Chelsea and went on to attend Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He additionally studied at Oxford University after receiving a Rhodes Scholarship.
But regardless of his gold-plated instructional resume, Birmingham continued to stay in Chelsea and at all times remembered his love of state politics.
The Democrat was first elected to the Senate in 1990 and located himself appointed Senate chair of the Legislature’s Education Committee.
It was from that publish that Birmingham labored with the House chair of the committee, fellow Democrat Mark Roosevelt, to go the Education Reform Act of 1993.
The legislation created an schooling funding system — often known as the “foundation budget” — meant to assist decide how a lot faculties ought to spend educating college students, and the way a lot the state ought to kick in.
The purpose was to assist clean out a few of the instructional disparities between wealthier communities and poorer ones.
The legislation additionally laid the groundwork for the state’s MCAS check, meant to assist gauge the progress of scholars. The check was additionally a highschool commencement requirement and drew sharp criticism from opponents, together with the state’s largest academics’ union, which argued the check must be scrapped for extra genuine types of demonstrating pupil achievement.
In 1996, after former Democratic Senate President William Bulger stepped down, Birmingham took over the position of president — thought-about one of many high three most politically highly effective positions in state authorities.
Birmingham stayed on as president till 2003, following an unsuccessful run for governor in 2002, shedding the Democratic major to former state Treasurer Shannon O’Brien.
Gov. Maura Healey referred to as Birmingham “an incredible public servant dedicated to moving Massachusetts forward.”
“Though he walked through rooms of power and privilege, he stayed true to his roots and never forgot where he came from or what mattered,” Healey, additionally a Democrat, stated in an announcement Saturday.
She additionally credited Birmingham with “advocating for the rights of workers and standing up for marriage equality.”
At the 2011 unveiling of his official Statehouse portrait, Birmingham stated he wasn’t certain he wished to fee a portrait of himself till he realized his predecessor, Bulger, and successor, former Senate President Robert Travaglini, already had portraits hanging within the Senate Reading Room.
“Obviously, when I was not paying attention, a tradition grew up and surrounded me,” Birmingham stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”