Auchincloss Announces Virtual Guest for Biden’s Joint Address to Congress
Auchincloss Invites Dr. Jeffrey Marsden, Medfield School District Superintendent as Virtual Guest to President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress 100 Days into Administration
Newton, MA — Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-04) is announcing Medfield Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Marsden as his virtual guest to President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress on Wednesday. Dr. Marsden and Congressman Auchincloss will chat together in a Facebook Live at 5:30 PM ET Wednesday evening ahead of President Biden’s address to reflect on improvements to COVID-19 testing in schools and discuss what they hope to hear in President Biden’s speech about efforts to return children to classrooms and plans to make up for lost time. Congressman Auchincloss recently visited Medfield High School as part of his American Rescue Plan tour to witness their COVID-19 testing operation. The pooled testing operation at Medfield has been cited as a program that could be used as a national model for getting kids back into the classroom.
The Joint Address, which is President Biden’s first speech to a Joint Session of Congress, marks 100 days into the President’s first term. In the past, Members of Congress have often invited constituents to join them as guests to such speeches. While COVID-19 safety protocols mean this year’s in-person attendance will be limited, Auchincloss said inviting Dr. Marsden as his virtual guest is an important way to honor the people of the Fourth District and share their stories.
“100 Days into our work with this Administration, the American Rescue Plan is delivering shots in arms, getting kids back to school, and getting Americans back to work,” said Auchincloss. “Americans like Dr. Marsden have been on the front lines of this recovery. While this year’s speech may look different, it is still an important opportunity to lift up voices from our District who are leading the way when it comes tackling the pandemic and beginning to rebuild for the future. The Medfield model is going to be an inspiration to The Commonwealth and to the whole country and I am excited to promote the work that Dr Marsden and his colleagues have been doing with our country tomorrow evening.”
In February, it was announced that Ginkgo Bioworks, the organism company, would collaborate with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to offer SARS-CoV-2 pooled testing services to approved public K-12 schools (like Medfield) and approved special education schools in Massachusetts. The goal of Concentric by Ginkgo, Ginkgo Bioworks’s public health and biosecurity effort, is to provide easy, affordable pooled testing to every school in America. Phase one of the Massachusetts initiative has focused on providing state-sponsored weekly pooled testing to students, teachers, and staff. This program is available to approved public schools and approved special education schools offering in-person or hybrid learning, as well as remote schools looking to return to in-person learning.
“I am excited to continue the conversation Congressman Auchincloss and I started during his visit to Medfield High, and look forward to sharing with the country how the pool testing system our school district has adopted can be a national model for helping get kids back into the classroom,” said Dr. Jeffrey Marsden who plans to watch the speech after his virtual event with the Congressman on Wednesday evening.
Dr. Jeffrey Marsden has been Superintendent of Medfield since 2013 and previously served as Superintendent of Wrentham Public Schools for seven years Dr. Marsden holds a Doctorate in Education in Educational Leadership from Boston College and is a former adjunct professor at Boston College where he taught "Finance and Facility in Education" between 2007 and 2009.
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