Wednesday, November 19, 2025
The Middle School Innovation Fund
On November 13, the public hearing on my bill S.457, An Act to Establish the Middle School Innovation Fund, offered a powerful look at what happens when students, educators, and a community unite behind innovative learning.
I was proud to join Gloucester Public Schools Superintendent Ben Lummis, Science Coordinator Amy Donnelly, Engineering Specialist Dave Brown, and the outstanding educators and student from O’Maley Innovation Middle School as they delivered compelling testimony—both in Gardner Auditorium and live from the O’Maley Science Center.
Their message was clear: at O’Maley's Science Central Program, students don’t just LEARN science—they DO. From raising trout and building bridges to 3D printing, aquaponics, and designing full-size sail-powered cars, these students are engaging in hands-on, real-world learning that shapes how they see themselves and their futures.
The Middle School Innovation Fund would help districts build programs like Gloucester’s with sustained, equitable support—not short-term grants or unpredictable private funding.
Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante and I remain inspired by the extraordinary work happening at O’Maley, and I invited members of the Joint Committee on Education to come see this innovative model live in action.
The testimony on November 13 underscored what we know in Gloucester: when students are challenged, inspired, and given the tools to explore, they rise to the occasion.
This bill can help bring those same opportunities to students statewide.
To watch the webcast of our testimony in favor of S.457, visit the link below and go to the 2:16:40 time mark
https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5459
