Events › Past Pioneer Events

U.S. History Education and Civic Engagement

| 2010-03-31

A panel of education and policy experts will be in attendance to discuss the issue of U.S. History education and civic engagement.

Moderating the panel discussion will be Eugenia Kemble of the Albert Shanker Institute.

Panelists will be Linda Nathan, Lynne Munson and Sandra Stotsky.

2010 Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecture

| 2010-03-25

Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier is uniquely positioned to critique health care reform in Massachusetts and on the national level. Dean Flier is the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. An endocrinologist, Dr. Flier served as Harvard Medical School Faculty Dean for Academic Programs and Chief Academic Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He has authored over 200 scholarly papers and reviews, and received numerous honors from professional medical societies.

Is the Massachusetts Model a Cure-All for the Country?

| 2010-03-11

Building on Pioneer Institute’s ongoing studies of the Health Care Reform Act of 2006, a panel of health care and legal experts, including some who had a direct hand in crafting and implementing the Massachusetts reform, will discuss how it is or is not working, how applicable it is for federal use, and whether federal mandates are constitutional.

Featuring

  • David Rivkin, Esq. — Baker & Hostettler, LLP, Washington, D.C.
  • Nancy Turnbull — Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Timothy Murphy — Beacon Health Strategies, Boston, MA
  • Wendy Mariner — BU School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Moderator

  • Amy Lischko — Pioneer Institute Senior Health Care Fellow;
    Tufts University, School of Medicine

School-Based District Reform, with Whitney Tilson

| 2010-01-07

Whitney Tilson is a board member of KIPP Academy charter school in New York City, one of the founders of Democrats for Education Reform, and one of the founding members of Teach for America in 1989. Mr. Tilson received an MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School, where he was elected a Baker Scholar, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, with a bachelor’s degree in Government.

A panel of education and policy experts will be in attendance to discuss the issues of charter public schools and school-based district reform. Acting as panel moderator will be Linda Noonan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. Panelists will be Karla Baehr, Kevin Andrews, Tom McDonald, and Paul Toner.

Pioneer Transparency Showcase

| 2009-09-30

Pioneer Institute has long been a proponent of transparency in government. That is why we have developed two new websites that offer clear, pertinent data to officials, administrators and citizens alike.

MassOpenBooks.org is an online tool where visitors can obtain data on state disbursements, state employees’ salaries and retiree pensions.

MassReportCards.org is a district and school rating tool that lets superintendents, parents and students see how their school ranks in the state.

Please join us for the showcase of these online tools to promote transparency and accountability in government.

18th Better Government Competition

| 2009-09-16

Pioneer Institute is proud to announce that Senior Link, an elderly care company administered by Caregiver Home of Massachusetts, is the winner of its 18th Annual Better Government Competition. Senior Link and 8 other entrants will be honored at an awards dinner September 16, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Boston. Guest speaker at the BGC awards dinner will be Dr. Mark McClellan, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Celebrating the life of Milton Friedman
with Dr. Jeffrey Miron
| 2009-07-31

To commemorate what would have been the 97th birthday of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, Pioneer will host a forum with Dr. Jeffrey A. Miron, who will put the current recession in historical perspective and discuss the current backlash against free markets.

Jeffrey A. Miron is Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Dr. Miron previously taught at the University of Michigan and Boston University; at the latter, he was Department Chairman for six years. He has been the recipient of an Olin Fellowship from the National Bureau of Economic Research, an Earhart Foundation Fellowship, and a Sloan Foundation Faculy Research Fellowship. Dr. Miron holds a B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in Economics from M.I.T. Dr. Miron is a Fellow of the Cato Institute.

Editorial Cartooning, Journalism and a Citizen's Responsibility in a New World Order
Pioneer Breakfast with Michael Ramirez
| 2009-06-24

Michael Ramirez is a two-time winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1994 and 2008 and a three-time Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalism Award winner. He is a Senior Editor and the editorial cartoonist for Investor’s Business Daily.

Ramirez is a Lincoln Fellow, an honorary member of Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society, and has won almost every journalism award in addition to the prestigious UCI Medal from the University of California, Irvine and the 2005 National Journalism Award, the 2008 Fischetti Award and The H. L. Mencken Award and is the author of the new book, Everyone Has the Right to My Opinion.

The Know-Nothing Amendments:
Barriers to School Choice
| 2009-04-06

The Blaine, or “Know-Nothing” Amendments, bar entry for inner city students to high quality education in Massachusetts’ parochial schools. Pioneer Institute, in conjunction with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, and Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance, will examine the implications of the Blaine Amendments as constitutional obstacles to school choice and offer strategies and processes to repeal the Amendments.

Little Pink House: A Reception with Susette Kelo

| 2009-02-05

In conjunction with the Institute for Justice, Pioneer will host Susette Kelo, whose New London waterfront home was taken by eminent domain, sparking a court battle that ended in a controversial United States Supreme Court decision, and Jeff Benedict, the nationally reknowned investigative journalist whose latest book, Little Pink House, takes the reader behind the scenes of this landmark case.

The 2009 Colby Hewitt Healthcare Lecture

| 2009-01-15

Please join Pioneer Institute for the 3nd annual Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecture, to be delivered by Jon Kingsdale, PhD. Mr. Kingsdale is the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, an independent authority established under Massachusetts’ landmark health reform legislation of 2006, to promote coverage of the uninsured. Its mission is to develop key elements of the health care financing policy in Massachusetts and implement the 2006 Health Care Refrom Act.

Core Academic Knowledge:
Educating for Common Purposes
Omni Parker House | 2008-12-16

In conjunction with MassINC and the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University, Pioneer Institute welcomes noted curricular expert E.D. Hirsch and former State Senate President Tom Birmingham as they host a forum on K-12 academic standards and the liberal arts. Hirsch has lauded Massachusetts’ standards, claiming that the state decided "students should learn explicit, substantive things about history, science and literature, and...should be tested on such knowledge." Please join us at this engaging and timely event, as we consider Massachusetts’ hard-won education gains due to the quality of its standards and curriculum frameworks, as well as the continued opposition within certain circles to the MCAS and standards.

The 20th Anniversary of Pioneer Institute

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boston | 2008-11-13

Pioneer is 20. At the young age of 75, Lovett C. “Pete” Peters founded Pioneer Institute to change the intellectual climate in Massachusetts. The first two decades of Pioneer have been years of independent thinking and common sense that helped improve the Commonwealth’s schools, government and economy. Join us as we celebrate Pete and Pioneer Institute and kick off a campaign in his honor to secure a permanent home for Pioneer.

Celebrating Regional Vocational-Technical Schools
Successful Models for School-based Reform
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology | 2008-10-17

Treasurer Tim Cahill will offer keynote remarks. He will be introduced by Rob Richardson from Intel Massachusetts, Inc.Also included in the agenda are Alison Fraser, who will present her research on Massachusetts' vocational-technical schools, which is set to be released at the event, and a roundtable discussion moderated by Katherine Craven, Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and composed of Ted Coghlin of Coghlin Electric, Michael Fitzpatrick of the Blackstone Regional Vocational-Technical School and Jeffrey Wheeler from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Judges of The Secret Court (Book Release)

Vinalia Restaurant Lounge & Wine Bar | 2008-10-15

In a radical departure from his previous books, Joe Giglio turns to fiction to dramatize how America’s transportation system can be transformed into a vigorous engine of economic growth and to make clear that our ability to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive global economy depends on this transformation. Dr. Giglio is the author of Driving Questions: Developing a National Transportation Vision, Mobility, and Fast Lane to the Future: The Privatization Route.

Update on Pioneer’s benchmarking efforts

| 2008-09-10

Through the Middle Cities Initiative, Pioneer has organized 8 community meetings across Massachusetts, and asked business owners, residents and community leaders how they would measure their government's performance in the areas of public safety, education, municipal management and economic development.

Almost 100 people participated and suggested over 500 benchmarks. Participants came from a broad range of ethnic and professional backgrounds and brought a diverse range of perspectives to the table.

Now, it is time for us to share our findings!

We invite you to come to a breakfast meeting, where we will present the most popular benchmarks for municipal government’s performance and also some interesting findings on how your city is doing in comparison to other cities in the State.

Differential Pay for Math and Science Teachers

Union Club | 2008-09-04

Within the purview of schools, there may be no more important factor in a child’s education than teacher quality. In areas of critical teacher shortage, like Math and Science, this is acutely true. Just one reason why the United States lags behind much of the developed world in these areas and why, among the recommendations in the Governor’s recently released Education Action Agenda, was included differentiated pay in high-need districts and highdemand disciplines.

Celebrating the Life of Milton Friedman

Union Club | 2008-07-31

To celebrate what would have been Nobel-award winner Milton Friedman's 96th birthday, Pioneer Institute welcomes renowned economist Edward Glaeser of Harvard University to discuss Milton Friedman's legacy and the role of the economist in helping to shape public policy in the 21st century.

17th Better Government Competition

Hyatt Regency, Boston | 2008-06-25

We are pleased to announce that, in the spirit of Pioneer's 17th Better Government Competition, which is focused on ideas to improve K-12 education, the keynote speaker at this year's awards dinner will be Chancellor Michelle Rhee of the Washington D.C. Public Schools. Ms. Rhee leads a district numbering 50,000 students and 144 schools. Chancellor Joel Klein, whose work in New York City's public schools is a model for effective change, said of her appointment that she is "the choice D.C. needs".

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Rhee founded and led the New Teacher Project. Her work helped improve teacher hiring in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia.

Managing Water Demand

Holyoke Community College | 2008-06-24

People typically use the most water during the summer, the dryest time of year. Cities and towns launch all sorts of programs to promote water conservation, with mixed results, but they often overlook an effective policy tool - pricing. Study after study has shown that people respond to increases in the price of water just as they respond to increases in the price of gasoline - they use less. For more information on Pioneer's research, see our White Paper by Robert Stavins and Sheila Olmstead.

Implications of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report

Union Club | 2008-06-16

Pioneer recognizes that today Mathematics and Science are the currency of economic success. Few would dispute this, nor would many dispute that Math and Science education in the United States lags behind much of the first and even developing worlds. However, even fewer have proposed detailed agendas to address the issue.

Please join us as we discuss the recent findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report with a keynote from panel member Wilfried Schmid and the presentation of a policy brief by panel member Sandra Stotsky, who will outline recommendations for improving Mathematics instruction in Massachusetts' schools.

Featuring Panel Members

  • › Wilfried Schmid, Harvard University
  • › Sandra Stotsky, University of Arkansas

The Cult of the Presidency
America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power
Suffolk University Law School | 2008-05-22

Pioneer Institute is proud to co-host this highly anticipated book and author luncheon, along with Washington D.C.'s Cato Institute.

Americans have increasingly expanded presidential power over recent decades by expecting the president to provide solutions for all national problems, prosperity for all, and protection from harm. Healy demonstrates how the president’s role needs to return to its properly defined constitutional limits, with its powers held in check by Congress and the courts. This splendid book provides the best account yet of how the Imperial Presidency, abetted by Democrats and Republicans alike, came to pose a clear and present danger to our republic.

History and Civic Education: The Learning of Liberty for Civic Life

Boston University School of Management | 2008-05-08

In her book Democratic Education Amy Gutmann, President of the University of Pennsylvania, said that “political education — the cultivation of the virtues, knowledge, and skills necessary for political participation — has moral primacy over other purposes of public education in a democratic society.”

How to ensure that democracy will endure has been a matter of concern since the founding of the Republic. This conference will explore the challenge of preparing citizens to embrace liberty and exercise it for the common good, both in the United States and in emerging democracies abroad.

Setting the historical and philosophical context for the discussion will be our keynote speaker, the Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Gordon Wood. Conference participants will learn about Projects in Civic Engagement, which aim to apply core principles of liberty and democracy to the education of citizens in the U.S. and abroad. These projects include We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, We the People: Project Citizen, Civitas International (Russia partnership), and Civics Mosaic (Eurasia).

Who Will Save America's Urban Catholic Schools?

Omni Parker Hotel | 2008-04-29

To mark the release of the Fordham Institute's latest research on the nation's Catholic schools, Fordham Vice President Michael Petrilli will discuss this valuable but threatened educational resource, and what could be done to ensure that the next generation of Boston children can benefit from an affordable, high-quality education from the city's Catholic schools.

Middle Cities At Work
Center for Economic Opportunity Annual Conference
Mechanics Hall, Worcester | 2008-04-25

Pioneer Institute is launching the Middle Cities Initiative to help the state and its cities implement a comprehensive agenda for reviving urban markets and improving city governance. Through the Initiative, Pioneer Institute promotes the use of data, performance measurement, and benchmarks to drive strategic decision-making in city management. In addition, the Initiative is intended to be a forum for sharing the best practices across cities.

Massachusetts’ older industrial cities are politically and economically in limbo between the traditional power base of greater Boston and the burgeoning political force of the suburbs, and between their former industrial role and newer market function. They are without political cohesion, and the state is also without a cohesive strategy to make the cities once again self-sustaining economic engines. The Middle Cities Initiative seeks to change that.

Please join us at this year's Center for Economic Opportunity Conference, to learn more about the Middle Cities Initiative.

Welcome

  • › Jim Stergios, Executive Director, Pioneer Institute

Keynote Address

  • › Greg Bialecki, Undersecretary for Business Development, Department of Business and Technology

Panel 1: Innovations and Best Practices in Economic Development

Panel 2: Using Data to Inform Policymaking

  • › Mayor Joseph Curtatone, City of Somerville
  • › Mayor Thatcher Kezer, City of Amesbury
  • › Stephen Lisauskas, Executive Director, Springfield Finance Control Board
  • › Stephanie Hirsch, Director, SomerStat
  • › Roberta Schaefer, President & CEO, The Research Bureau

Shades of Green
Forum on Wetlands Protection and Smart Growth
Suffolk University Law School | 2008-03-06

All wetlands, including small seasonal pools, help clean rainwater, serve as drainage areas and provide habitat for many species. While there is broad consensus on the need for wetlands protection, there is less agreement about the best system for regulating development in and near wetlands.

Join us for a discussion of wetlands policy in Massachusetts.

Welcome

  • › Ellen Roy Herzfelder, former Secretary of Environmental Affairs

Presentations of Research

  • › Jim Stergios, Pioneer Institute
  • › Amy Dain, Pioneer Institute
  • › Jenny Schuetz, Assistant Professor of Economics, City College of New York

Panelists

  • › Ken Pruitt, Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions
  • › Patrick Garner, Wetlands Scientist and Hydrologist
  • › Jeff Rhuda, Symes Associates


Data-Driven Student Achievement

BU School of Education | 2008-01-15

Using data to make decisions in our public schools and classrooms was was one of the core elements of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act. The result was the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS.

Proponents of this system and the tests it uses argue they are essential learning tools and, right now, the best and most cost-effective way to ensure accountability in our public schools. Opponents argue that overly relying on MCAS leads to teaching to the test.

Pioneer explores both sides of this debate at Data-Driven Student Achievement.

Keynote Speaker:

  • › Mike Sentance, Regional Administrator for the US Department of Education

Introduced by:

  • › Chris Anderson, Massachusetts High Tech Council, Massachusetts Board of Education

A panel discussion featuring:

  • › Ruth Kaplan, Massachusetts Board of Education
  • › Joseph Rappa, Educational Quality and Accountability
  • › Alison Fraser, Education Management Audit Council
  • › Bruce Bean, Community Partners Initiative

Moderator:

  • › Linda Noonan, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education

Managing Water Demand
Price vs. Non-Price Conservation Programs
Hynes Convention Center | 2008-01-12

High demand during the driest months of the year strains the state's water supplies. What are the best ways to conserve water during the summer and year round? This session will compare water pricing as a method to achieve conservation with other policy approaches.

A panel discussion featuring:

  • › Amy Dain, Project Manager, Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research
  • › Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, Planning Director, Massachusetts Water Resources Association
  • › Eric Hooper, Public Works Superintendent, City of Sharon
  • › Jim Stergios, Executive Director, Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research
  • › Chris Woodcock, President, Woodcock and Associates

Moderator:

  • › Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator, Town of Franklin

Why Democrats Support Charter Schools - Discussion Forum

Omni Parker House | 2007-12-11

Charter schools are too often viewed as a partisan issue. They're not. Both in Massachusetts and across the country, the success of charter schools has attracted support from across the political spectrum. See for yourself as the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, with support from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Democrats for Education Reform and Pioneer Institute, explains "Why Democrats Support Charter Schools."

A panel discussion featuring:

  • › Joe Williams, Executive Director, Democrats for Education Reform, New York
  • › Kevin Chavous, former member of the Council of the District of Columbia and Chair of the Council's Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation
  • › Rep. Eugene O'Flaherty, JD-Chelsea, Massachusetts House of Representatives

Moderator:

  • › Andrea Silbert, 2006 Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor; President, EOS Foundation, Boston

Sponsored by:

  • Democrats for Education Reform
  • National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

2007 Lovett C. Peters Lecture in Public Policy

Boston Harbor Hotel Wharf Room | 2007-11-13

Can mega-prizes inspire better solutions to social and political problems than governments? Dr. Peter Diamandis, founder and CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, thinks so. An MIT PhD and Harvard MD, he created the XPRIZE in 1995 to inspire radical innovations to benefit humanity. With $10 million in private funding, the first XPRIZE was awarded to a team led by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen and aviation pioneer Bert Rutan, who launched SpaceShipOne to the edge of space twice in two weeks in 2004. Dr. Diamandis will deliver the 2007 Lovett C. Peters Lecture, offering his thoughts on how mega-prizes can help solve seemingly intractable problems. We in Massachusetts have our share of such problems. Could an XPRIZE or two help? *Invitation Only*

Public Power, Private Gain
The Power of Eminent Domain in America
BC Law School | 2007-10-23

A panel discussion featuring: Scott Bullock, Senior Attorney, The Institute for Justice Zygmunt Plater, Professor of Law, Boston College Law School Michael S. Greve, John G. Searle Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute; Adjunct Professor, Boston College

Tax Credits for Scholarships: White Paper and Pioneer Forum

BU School of Education | 2007-10-05

While efforts to offer greater choice to Massachusetts public school students have stalled, other states have implemented innovative tax deductions and credit programs. A new Pioneer White Paper by William Howell of the University of Chicago and Mindy Spencer of UMass' Donahue Institute surveys the programs of Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida, and the lessons these states’ experiences offer the Commonwealth.

Who Killed Health Care?
2007 Hewitt Lecture
The Conference Center at Harvard Medical School | 2007-09-25

Please join Pioneer Institute for the 2nd annual Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecture, to be delivered by Regina Herzlinger, Harvard Business School professor and author of "Who Killed Health Care?" One of the nation's most respected health care analysts, Regina Herzlinger's latest book explains how our current system, which is organized around payers and providers rather than the needs of its users, is dangerously eroding patient welfare and pushing costs out of the reach of millions. As the 2007 Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecturer, Ms. Herzlinger will outline her bold new plan for a consumer-driven system that will deliver affordable high-quality care to everyone.

Driving Questions
A Forum on Transportation Strategy for Massachusetts
Suffolk University Law School | 2007-09-14

Please join Pioneer Institute and our distinguished guests for a panel discussion of the transportation issues facing the Commonwealth. In the wake of the Big Dig, previous administrations struggled to articulate a comprehensive transportation strategy for Massachusetts. As a new administration begins to outline its vision, this forum will explore the strategic and tactical issues facing the Commonwealth. This forum will feature a keynote address by Professor Joseph Giglio of Northeastern University and panel discussions including the following participants: › Secretary Bernard Cohen of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works; › Coby Chase, Director of the Texas Department of Transportation's Government and Public Affairs Division; › Paul Haley, Senior Vice President of Lehman Brothers; › Fred Salvucci, Former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation; MIT Senior Lecturer; and › Martin Capper, President of the IVHAS Division of MARKIV Industries. This event is sponsored by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Weston & Sampson, Inc. and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., with support from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section/ASCE.

Breathing Life into School Choice
Celebrating the Life of Milton Friedman
Cabernet Room, Vinalia Restaurant | 2007-07-31

To commemorate what would have been the 95th birthday of the Nobel-award winning economist, Milton Friedman, Pioneer Institute is hosting a brief discussion on the state of school choice in Massachusetts and across the country. Friedman pioneered the idea of improving the access of all to a good education through competition and school vouchers. To honor his memory and the work Pioneer’s efforts to advance school choice, we will discuss what has been achieved to expand school choice in Massachusetts, what the immediate obstacles to continued expansion are, and what the next steps in the school choice effort should be.

Managing Water Demand
Price vs. Non-Price Conservation Programs
Suffolk University Law School | 2007-07-19

Environmental economists Robert Stavins and Sheila Olmstead will present their new Pioneer white paper, Managing Demand: Price vs. Non-Price Conservation Programs. Their research compares water pricing as a method to achieve conservation with other policy approaches. A panel of experts will discuss their findings.

16th Annual Better Government Competition Awards Dinner

Hyatt Regency Boston | 2007-06-26

Now in its 16th year, Pioneer Institute’s annual Better Government Competition showcases innovative ideas and programs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government. Implementation of previous winning entries has saved Massachusetts citizens over $400 million.

Strategies and Tools to Revitalize Our Middle Cities

Omni Parker House | 2007-02-08

The recent gubernatorial campaign drew attention to the perennial challenges of Massachusetts’ older urban centers. This Pioneer Institute event will advance this important conversation and discuss new approaches to urban policy-making, and also provide specific recommendations to revitalize Commonwealth’s Middle Cities. Senator Jack Hart, of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, will open the event, setting the tone for the subsequent two panels. The first panel will review Springfield’s reform efforts and consider its lessons for other Middle Cities. Panel Two will present a variety of effective local practices for grass-roots business creation.

The Merits of Differential Pay for Teachers

Boston University School of Education | 2006-12-15

Measuring Up?
The Cost of Doing Business
Beechwood Hotel | 2006-12-12

Pioneer Institute and the Worcester Regional Research Bureau are pleased to sponsor a presentation of Pioneer's recent report, "Measuring Up?: The Cost of Doing Business in Massachusetts". The presentation will feature David Iaia, Senior Principal of Global Insight,and Steve Poftak, Research Director of Pioneer Institute. Following the presentation, James Stergios, Executive Director of Pioneer Institute, will address the audience.

Has Education Reform Stalled in Massachusetts?

Omni Parker House | 2006-11-06

Pioneer Institute will be hosting a breakfast forum for educational leaders, parents, education policy experts, and legislators on the progress of education reform in Massachusetts. This event will present two new research papers by Pioneer Institute, showing gaps between state polices and local practices in school districts. The purpose of these two studies is to analyze performance assessment data reported by the Massachusetts Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). Our event will feature Thomas Birmingham, Senior Counsel with Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and former Massachusetts Senate President.

The Massachusetts Health Care Reform: A Blueprint for the Future

Omni Parker House | 2006-06-13

Panel Featuring John Goodman, President, National Center for Policy Analysis Regina Herzlinger, Professor, Harvard Business School Tim Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services Please join us for a breakfast discussion on the recently enacted Massachusetts health care plan, based in large part on a proposal by Governor Mitt Romney, which has come to the entire country’s attention. Its merits and deficiencies, as well as its applicability for other states, are being debated. The legislation calls for near universal care, market reforms, and new provider requirements. Regulations are due for publication this summer. What will they mean for Massachusetts? What are the key issues? And, most importantly, will it work?

Myths About Markets and Education

Omni Parker House | 2006-05-18

Featuring John Stossel ABCNEWS Correspondent and Co-anchor of “20/20” Ideas matter-even, and maybe especially, when they are the wrong ideas. Investigative reporter John Stossel has spent his career dispelling myths. Pioneer is pleased to host Stossel as he discusses his new book Myth, Lies and Downright Stupidity—Get Out the Shovel—Why Everything You Know is Wrong. Please join us for this thought-provoking luncheon.

Technology and Innovative Finance: Creating “MOBILITY”

Ritz Carlton Boston Common | 2006-05-11

Featuring Joseph M. Giglio Panelists John Cogliano, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation Martin Capper, Chairman, Intelligent Transportation Society of America; President, IVHS Division of Mark IV Industries Mike Doyle, Board Member, Intelligent Transportation Society of America; Chief Executive Officer, Econolite Control Products Trent Vichie, Senior Vice President, MacQuarie Securities USA Henry Dormitzer, Managing Director, UBS Financial Services Maria Matesanz, Senior Vice President – Infrastructure, Moody’s Investors Services Fred Salvucci, Senior Lecturer, Center for Transportation and Logistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; former Secretary, Massachusetts Department of Transportation The transportation landscape has changed significantly in the first years of the new century, with substantial completion of the Big Dig, funding changes due to SAFETEA-LU, and the issuance of the Governor's 20-year transportation plan, as the Transportation Finance Commission continues its work to produce a strategic vision for transportation and suggest the means to pay for it. This morning’s conference will pose key strategic questions: What kind of transportation infrastructure do we need? How we will pay for it? And what role can technology play in improved service?

WATER MANAGEMENT AND THE MWRA

Omni Parker House | 2006-04-28

Panel Featuring Mary Griffin, General Council, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Peter Hechenbleikner, Town Manager, Town of Reading Fred Laskey, Executive Director, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Mark P. Smith, Director, Eastern U.S. Freshwater Program, The Nature Conservancy and former Water Policy Director, EOEA The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) currently supplies water from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs to 50 municipalities. What if the MWRA expanded its service to communities with water supply concerns, such as those within the Ipswich, Charles and Sudbury-Assabet-Concord (SUASCO) river watersheds? Would it address stresses in key watersheds or drive uncontrolled growth, further stressing the watersheds? Would this offset the need for significant rate increases over the long-term to MWRA communities, or is it merely a short-term fix? What are the implications to the long-term health of the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs and their tributaries? If expansion is undertaken, what statutory and regulatory issues would have to be addressed to ensure that an affordable, clean and abundant water supply remains available to Massachusetts residents for years to come?

Getting the Incentives Right
How to provide better health care to more people at lower cost
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center East Campus | 2006-04-05

Please join Pioneer Institute, in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, for the first lecture in the Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecture series. The event will feature Dr. Daniel H. Johnson, Jr., M.D., a diagnostic radiologist from Metairie, Louisiana who has served as President of the American Medical Association and the World Medical Association. The Colby Hewitt Health Care Lecture series has been established in honor of the late Colby Hewitt, a long time supporter and past Board Chairman of Pioneer Institute. This event is open to all those interested in health care reform.

School Choice and Education Reform in Massachusetts
Competing in the 21st Century
Omni Parker House | 2006-01-31

Please join us for a breakfast discussion of the recent developments in Massachusetts’s education reform efforts and the role of school choice in making education reform thrive in the Commonwealth. The event will feature Christopher Whittle, a dynamic entrepreneur and founder of Edison Schools, and a major influence on re-establishing quality education in America. The forum will also highlight school choice and its prospects for driving academic improvements in Massachusetts. This discussion will be of particular interest to: School Administrators, Academics, Parents, Education Policy Makers, and Legislators.

Land-Use Regulation and Housing Prices

Suffolk University Law School | 2006-01-05

At this event, Pioneer Institute and the Rappaport Institute will release a publicly accessible database that details the full array of regulations that 187 communities use to shape residential development within their borders. The event will also mark the release of a major study by Glaeser, Schuetz, and Bryce Ward that analyzes whether and how local regulations have affected housing production and prices in the region.

Trends in Small Business Financing: Best Theory and Practice

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, New England Room | 2005-12-15

The 6th annual conference of the Pioneer's Center for Urban Entrepreneurship organized in partnership with Massachusetts Community & Banking Council is entitled Trends in Small Business Financing: Best Theory and Practice. Please join us for a half-day discussion of the critical issues related to small business financing in Massachusetts. The conference will be of interest to the wide range of professionals: business assistance providers, bankers, individual investors, researchers, state and local policy makers. The conference will provide a forum for discussion of successful state-of-the-art financing models and best practices in making capital accessible to small companies. The emphasis will also be on effective ways to incorporate capital availability for small business into the state economic policy.

Creating Successful Schools
2005 Lovett C. Peters Lecture in Public Policy
The Four Seasons Hotel | 2005-11-01

As superintendent of schools in Edmonton, Canada, Angus McBeath has revolutionized public education there – through extensive school choice and competition for students, empowerment of principals, merit pay for teachers, and parental involvement. Edmonton schools are frequently held up as an example of what public education can and should be – the schools are so good they have virtually run private schools out of business. Set aside the evening of November 1 to hear his remarkable story as our guest at a black-tie dinner at Boston’s Four Seasons Hotel!