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State education chair praises Burlington work, touts early‑literacy bill and generator funding
Summary
State Rep. Ken Gordon, recognized by MASC as Legislator of the Year, told the Burlington School Committee the Legislature has approved an early‑literacy bill and awarded Burlington $100,000 in supplemental funds to replace a failed generator at Memorial School.
State Rep. Ken Gordon, the House chair on joint education matters, told the Burlington School Committee on March 24 that the Legislature has advanced an early‑literacy bill and that Burlington received $100,000 in supplemental funding to replace the Memorial School generator.
Gordon, who the district recognized as a MASC Legislator of the Year, said the early‑literacy measure — passed by both chambers — will require that K–2 reading instruction use evidence‑based programs focused on phonics. "Burlington transitioned over to that a few years ago," Gordon said. "This bill is directed at causing those districts to come over and use programs that basically go back to what we'll call phonics plus." He added the bill remains in conference committee to reconcile small differences between the House and Senate versions.
The congressman said the supplemental grant stems from recent additional revenue and a local prioritization process that directed $100,000 to Burlington for the failed generator. "I'm really glad that we were able to help," Gordon said, adding he expects the appropriation to move to the governor's desk soon.
Gordon also described two other education priorities he is tracking: legislation proposing a bell‑to‑bell restriction on student cell‑phone use during the school day and work on updated graduation requirements to better align grading and assessment across districts.
Why it matters: The literacy measure would change classroom requirements for many districts across Massachusetts; Burlington school leaders said they have already moved to evidence‑based reading instruction and expect limited operational change locally. The generator funds address an immediate safety and facilities need the district had identified.
Next steps: Gordon said the literacy conference committee hopes to finish its work in the coming weeks. The committee did not take any formal action on the state bills during the meeting.
Sources: Remarks by Ken Gordon to the Burlington School Committee at the March 24, 2026 meeting.
