Wednesday, November 19, 2025
TARR IN THE NEWS | 11.13.25
EXCERPTS BELOW:
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"With O’Maley’s program serving as a model, the bill, S.457, to create a statewide Middle School Innovation Fund advanced to a Joint Committee on Education public hearing Wednesday afternoon. It is being championed on Beacon Hill by state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and co-sponsored by state Rep. Ann Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, and state Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury.
The fund would support hands-on, interdisciplinary programs in grades 5-8, provide sustained grant funding for curriculum development and classroom resources, and establish an advisory council to ensure transparency, equity, and accountability through public meetings and annual reporting, according to Tarr’s office."
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"Tarr, a Gloucester native, provided testimony for the bipartisan legislation supported by lawmakers in both houses that would support local educators at middle schools in developing project-centered and interdisciplinary learning programs tailored to their schools.
“I would say to you that Representative Ferrante and I have been consistently impressed when we go to the O’Maley Middle School … at the work that’s being done by Amy and her colleagues with regard to educating and exciting students about science and math education and doing it in so many innovative ways,” Tarr said.
“Being able to interest them and excite them about science and technology and math at that age level is critical.”
The bill embraces the concept of group, project-based learning. Tarr invited lawmakers to visit O’Maley."
