BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick plans to file legislation this week to create a cabinet-level education secretary, as part of an effort to make education a top issue for 2008, The Associated Press has learned.
The governor’s bill also would grant him greater control of education boards by expanding the number of seats on the panels, allowing Patrick to add more supporters to advance his agenda, according to three people familiar with the plan.
Patrick, who has advocated for lengthening the school day and providing two years of free community college education, plans to provide details of his education governance bill in a speech this week. The sources spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the governor hasn’t publicly released the plan.
The governor, who has publicly expressed frustration with his inability to gain more control over state boards, last year appointed a large task force, called the “Readiness Project,” to recommend ways to implement his agenda. The panel’s recommendations are due in late winter.
Patrick’s top education adviser, Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, would be a likely choice for secretary. Mohler-Faria, who is president of Bridgewater State College, has volunteered over the past year helping Patrick shape his education goals, often serving as an official representative of the administration.
Mohler-Faria, who was by Patrick’s side along with his cabinet secretaries at a year-end news conference, already has a temporary staff within the state Board of Higher Education. One of the sources said it’s likely that the bill will formalize Mohler-Faria’s role, rather than establish a new bureaucracy.
The scope of the secretary’s responsibilities was not immediately known. A spokeswoman for the governor declined to comment on the story.
