Public Affairs

PARCC: Part 2

Opponents say PARCC and “Common Core” – its companion set of national education standards – have actually hurt student achievement. They point out that many states have now backed away from those national achievement goals. Carolee McGrath gets that side of the...

The State We’re In: Mayor Domenic Sarno

Fresh from his re-election this week to a fourth term, our guest is Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. He discusses the controversy surrounding changes proposed by MGM for their South End casino project, over-all economic development, public safety, and...

Common Core

Common Core has become a hot topic across the country and right here in Massachusetts. The state adopted the national education standards in 2010 and  more than 40 states did the same. But some states have now dropped common core and there are calls to end it in the...

Holyoke Public Schools Receivership

Dr. Stephen Zrike has been chosen as the new leader for the Holyoke Public Schools. Zrike was announced as the permanent receiver for the district when the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted last May to put the district into state...

Springfield Casino Update

City Council President Michael Fenton discusses his concerns about reductions being made in their casino plan for downtown Springfield by developers MGM. MGM Springfield MGM Springfield on...

Ron Chimelis

Ron Chimelis, The Republican’s general columnist and opinion writer, discusses current issues in the region. MassLive/The...

The State We’re In: State Sen. Stan Rosenberg

State Senator Stan Rosenberg (D) – Amherst/Franklin/Hampshire/Worcester District and President of the Massachusetts State Senate, discusses his role as leader of upper house of the Massachusetts legislature and issues being considered on Beacon Hill this...

Co-Work Springfield

Connecting Point Contributor Carolee McGrath talks with Samild Hogan, founder of Co-Work Springfield, to learn how they help small business owners and entrepreneurs stay connected with each other and diversify their support network by connecting them with other...

Vet2Vet

Holyoke Community College, in collaboration with the Springfield Vet Center, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, is launching a series of free classes this fall specifically for veterans. Called “Vet2Vet,” the 10 FREE...