reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37m (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37m - Consolidation of Administrative Functions With City or Town

Section 37M. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter forty-one or chapter seventy-one or any other special or general law to the contrary, any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section may consolidate administrative functions, including but not limited to financial, personnel, and maintenance functions, of the school committee with those of the city or town; provided, however, that such consolidation may occur only upon a majority vote of both the school committee and in a city, the city council, with approval of the mayor required by law or in a town, the annual town meeting or in a town with no town meeting, the town council.  (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a decision to consolidate functions pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may be revoked by a majority vote of either the school committee of the city or town, or the city or town, or both as such vote is described in said paragraph (a).
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37n (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37n - Policy for School-Sponsored Student Travel

Section 37N. Each school committee shall establish a policy concerning student travel sponsored by a school that is planned to occur between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m., or that will include an overnight stay away from a student's home. The policy shall address, but not be limited to, such issues as safety of transportation and accommodations, cost, including expectations for fundraising by students, time away from school, appropriateness of the trip for the grade level and the trip approval process. In adopting its policy, the school committee shall consider the model policy drafted by the board of education under section 1B of chapter 69.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37q (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37q - Mental Health Support Plans

Section 37Q. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:—  ''Approved private day or residential school'', a school that accepts, through agreement with a school committee, a child requiring special education pursuant to section 10 of chapter 71B.  ''Charter school'', commonwealth charter schools and Horace Mann charter schools established pursuant to section 89.  ''Collaborative school'', a school operated by an educational collaborative established pursuant to section 4E of chapter 40.  ''Plan'', a mental health support plan established pursuant to subsection (b).  ''School district'', the school department of a city or town, a regional school district or a county agricultural school.  (b) Each school district, charter school, approved private day or residential school and collaborative school shall develop and adhere to a plan to address the general mental health needs of its students, including the students' families, teachers and school administrators. Each plan shall also address the potential need for emergency and acute treatment for students, including the students' families, teachers and school administrators as a result of a tragedy or crisis within the district or school. Before September 1 of each year, each school district, charter school, approved private day or residential school and collaborative school shall review and update its plan to achieve best practices.  (c) The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules or regulations necessary to carry out this section.  (d) No public employer shall be liable for injury, loss of property, personal injury or death caused by an act or omission of a public employee while acting in the scope of the public employee's employment and arising out of the implementation of this section. This section shall not be construed as creating or imposing a specific duty of care.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 37r (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 37r - Possession and Access to Two-Way Communication Device for Communicating With Police and Fire Departments During Emergency Situation

Section 37R. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:—  ''School'', a school administered by a school department of a city or town or regional school district, a county agricultural school, a commonwealth charter school or Horace Mann charter school established pursuant to section 89 or an educational collaborative established pursuant to section 4E of chapter 40.  ''Two-way communication device'', a device capable of transmitting, conveying or routing real-time, 2–way voice communications through radio frequency.  (b) Every school shall, subject to appropriation, possess and have access to a two-way communication device to be used solely for communicating with police and fire departments of the city or town where the school is located during an emergency situation.  (c) No public employer shall be liable for injury, loss of property, personal injury or death caused by an act or omission of a public employee while acting in the scope of the public employee's employment and arising out of the implementation of this section. This section shall not be construed as creating or imposing a specific duty of care.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38a - Duties; Appointment of Director of Occupational Guidance, Duties of Director

Section 38A. The school committee of a town not in an occupational guidance and placement district may employ a director or directors of occupational guidance and placement, approved by the department prior to his or their appointment, and may fix his or their compensation, and a director employed under this section shall, under the direction and control of the supervisor of guidance and placement provided for in section six B of chapter fifteen, give his whole time to the occupational and employment problems of the young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-three in said town. He shall use all means available to furnish occupational guidance and secure employment opportunities for such persons. Every such director may consult with and seek the advice of said supervisor, and shall make an annual report to the committee and forward a copy thereof to said supervisor.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38c - Status of Director of Occupational Guidance

Section 38C. Every such director of occupational guidance and placement shall be deemed to be a regularly appointed teacher in the school system of the town by which he is employed, and shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter relating to teachers.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38d - District Directors of Occupational Guidance; Appointment

Section 38D. Two or more towns may, by vote of each, form a district for the purpose of employing a director of occupational guidance and placement, who shall annually be appointed by a joint committee composed of the chairman and secretary of the school committee of each of said towns. The committee shall determine the relative amount of service to be performed by him in each town, fix his salary, apportion the amount thereof to be paid by each town, and certify the same to each town treasurer. Any constituent town may, by vote passed prior to December first in any year, withdraw from the district, with the approval of the department, such withdrawal to become effective on June thirtieth following. No city may join in forming such a district.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38f - Fees for Services of Directors of Occupational Guidance; Prohibition; Penalty for Violation

Section 38F. A director of occupational guidance and placement who accepts any commission, fee, compensation or reward of any kind for obtaining a position for any person shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, and upon conviction his office shall immediately become vacant.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38h (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38h - School Librarian and School Library Supervisor or Co-Ordinator; Tenure

Section 38H. Every school librarian and school library supervisor or co-ordinator appointed by a school committee shall acquire tenure in the school system of the city or town in which he is employed subject to the provisions of section forty-one, relating to tenure for teachers, and of sections forty-two and forty-three A, relating to dismissal, suspension and discharge and of appeals therefrom.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38i (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38i - Reimbursement of Teachers for Tuitions and Fees

Section 38I. The school committee of any city or town may, under regulations prescribed by the school committee, reimburse teachers for tuition and fees incurred by such teachers for upgrading skills and improving proficiency.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38k - Public Relations Bureau in School Departments; Establishment

Section 38K. In cities having a population of over one hundred thousand, the school committee may establish within the school department a bureau of public relations for the purpose of improving public relations between the school department and the community. Said bureau shall be under the control of a director, and such other assistants as the committee deems necessary may be employed to carry out the purpose of such bureau. The director and assistants appointed under the provisions of this section shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter thirty-one.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38m (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38m - Student Advisory Committees

Section 38M. School committees of cities, towns and regional school districts shall meet at least once every other month, during the months school is in session, with a student advisory committee to consist of five members to be composed of students elected by the student body of the high school or high schools in each city, town or regional school district.  The members of such student advisory committees shall, by majority vote prior to the first day of June in each year elect from their number a chairperson who shall serve for a term of one year. Said chairperson shall be an ex-officio, nonvoting member of the school committee, without the right to attend executive sessions unless such right is expressly granted by the individual school committee. Said chairperson shall be subject to all school committee rules and regulations and shall serve without compensation.  A school committee may designate a student outreach coordinator for the purpose of ensuring the establishment of a student advisory committee and regularly informing the advisory committee of the school committee's agenda.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38n (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38n - Proposed Annual Budgets; Public Hearings Required; Quorum

Section 38N. The school committee of each city, town or regional school district shall hold a public hearing on its proposed annual budget not less than seven days after publication of a notice thereof in a newspaper having general circulation in such city, town or district. Prior to such public hearing said committee shall make available to the public at least one copy of said proposed budget for a time period of not less than forty-eight hours either at the office of the superintendent of schools or at a place so designated by said committee. At the time and place so advertised or at any time or place to which such hearing may from time to time be adjourned all interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard for or against the whole or any part of the proposed budget. Such hearing shall be conducted by a quorum of the school committee. For the purposes of this section a quorum shall consist of a majority of the members of said school committee.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38o (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38o - Sex Education Advisory Committees

Section 38O. In any city, town or regional school district which accepts this section, the school committee shall meet at least once every other month with an advisory committee which shall advise said school committee concerning reading, visual aid and all other material pertaining to sex education. Said committee shall consist of eleven members, one of whom shall be a physician and seven of whom shall be parents of children attending a school of such city, town or regional school district. The school committee in June of each year shall appoint said committee.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38p (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38p - School Psychologists; Tenure

Section 38P. Every school psychologist and supervisor of school psychologists appointed by a school committee and holding certification as a school psychologist from the department of education shall acquire tenure in the school system of the city, town or district in which he is employed, subject to the provisions of sections forty-one, forty-two and forty-three A.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38q (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38q - Professional Development Plans; Statewide Assistance Plan

Section 38Q. Every school district in the commonwealth shall adopt and implement a professional development plan for all principals, teachers, other professional staff, paraprofessionals and teacher assistants employed by the district, to include the professional support teams established pursuant to section thirty-eight G, and annually shall update such plans and set forth a budget for professional development within the confines of the foundation budget. Said plan shall include training in the teaching of new curriculum frameworks and other skills required for the effective implementation of this act, including participatory decision making, and parent and community involvement. The plan shall also include training in: (1) analyzing and accommodating diverse learning styles of all students in order to achieve an objective of inclusion in the regular classroom of students with diverse learning styles; and (2) methods of collaboration among teachers, paraprofessionals and teacher assistants to accommodate such styles. The plan may also include training in the provision of pre-referral services within regular education. Said plan shall also include training for members of school councils, pursuant to section fifty-nine C. Said plan may include teacher training which addresses the effects of gender bias in the classroom. In any school district with English learners as defined in chapter 71A, the plan shall provide training for teachers in second language acquisition techniques for the re-certification of teachers and administrators. All professional development plans required by this section shall be filed annually with the commissioner of education.  The commissioner of education for the commonwealth shall prepare each year a plan for providing statewide assistance in the preparation and implementation of professional development plans. The plan shall include data that demonstrates, statewide and by school district, the types of professional development provided for educators who work with English learners as defined in chapter 71A. The commissioner shall consult with the board of higher education in developing said plan. This plan shall evaluate the feasibility of obtaining assistance from institutions of higher education and private service providers. The plan shall be submitted to the board of education for approval. A copy of said plan shall be submitted to the joint committee on education, arts, and humanities of the general court.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 38q1/2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 38q1/2 - Curriculum Accommodation Plan

Section 38Q1/2. A school district shall adopt and implement a curriculum accommodation plan to assist principals in ensuring that all efforts have been made to meet students' needs in regular education. The plan shall be designed to assist the regular classroom teacher in analyzing and accommodating diverse learning styles of all children in the regular classroom and in providing appropriate services and support within the regular education program including, but not limited to, direct and systematic instruction in reading and provision of services to address the needs of children whose behavior may interfere with learning, or who do not qualify for special education services under chapter 71B. The curriculum accommodation plan shall include provisions encouraging teacher mentoring and collaboration and parental involvement.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 39 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 39 - Teacher's Application Forms; Questions Concerning Religion or Politics

Section 39. No public school committee or official shall inquire concerning, or require or solicit from an applicant for a position in the public schools any information as to, his religious belief, creed or practice, or his political opinions or affiliations; and no appointment to such a position shall be in any manner affected thereby. Violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 40 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 40 - Compensation of Teachers; Deferred Payment

Section 40. The compensation of each teacher, except a person in training and except a person employed as a temporary substitute, upon a majority vote of the respective school committee and the appropriating authority or, in the case of a regional school district, upon acceptance as provided hereafter, shall be at a rate of not less than eighteen thousand dollars or at a rate not less than twenty thousand dollars, as designated by said vote, for the school year commencing after July first, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven. In the case of a regional school district, acceptance shall require the approval of the regional school district committee and two-thirds of the appropriating authorities of the municipalities in such regional school district. The compensation paid to such teachers shall be deemed to be fully earned at the end of the school year, and proportionately earned during the school year. Payment of such compensation may be deferred to the extent that equal payments may be established for a twelve month period including amounts payable in July and August subsequent to the end of the school year. Educational collaboratives, formed under the provisions of section four E of chapter forty, may accept the provisions of this section by a majority vote of the collaborative board and the approval by a vote of the majority of the appropriating authorities of the member cities and towns.  Any city, town, regional school district, educational collaborative or independent vocational school district which currently employs teachers at salaries below eighteen thousand dollars or below twenty thousand dollars and which accepts the minimum salary provisions of this section for school years commencing after July first, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven shall receive a minimum teacher salary grant from the commonwealth in fiscal years nineteen hundred and eighty-eight and nineteen hundred and eighty-nine equal to the cost incurred by such city, town, collaborative or regional school district during said fiscal years as a result of increasing the minimum teacher salary to eighteen thousand dollars or to twenty thousand dollars, as designated by the vote of the school committee and the appropriating authority thereof, for each teacher whose salary was below that level prior to July first, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven and for each teacher hired after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven whose salary was below that level at any time between July first, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven and June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 41b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 41b - Leaves of Absence; Peace Corps

Section 41B. A school superintendent shall grant to a teacher who has been accepted to serve in the Peace Corps of the United States and who is currently in good standing in a public school of the commonwealth a leave of absence for the term of such service. Such leave shall be without pay and shall not be counted as creditable service for retirement purposes but such member shall be restored to his previous or a similar position, with the same status, pay, length of service credit and seniority, whenever applicable, as he held on the date of such leave of absence.
MA Gen L ch 71 § 42c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XII - Education|Chapter 71 - Public Schools|Section 42c - Records of Teachers; Inspection

Section 42C. School officials of cities and towns keeping records concerning any teacher or his work shall, at the written request of the teacher, permit the teacher by appointment to inspect the contents of his personnel folder, files, cards and records, and to make copies of such contents and records as concern his work or himself.