Governor Deval Patrick made stops at Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School and C.T. Plunkett Elementary School in Adams to talk about Education reform. As our Sabina Kuriakose tells us, the governor is making a last-minute push to prompt the state legislature to act on a bill currently before the House.

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"We're visiting a couple of schools in Adams today, as I have across the Commonwealth to draw attention to the ed reform bill that is pending in the legislature, which is a strategy to try to get at our achievement gap," said Patrick.

Patrick's visit to the Berkshires comes as he's urging lawmakers to increase the cap on charter schools, just one of the criteria he needs to get even more money for the state as he applies for federal stimulus funding. The deadline is January 19th.

"It is a very targeted cap lift. It is targeted for those areas and school districts that are chronically underperforming and it is only for those charters that have a demonstrated record to be able to make a difference in that population," said Patrick.

The bill will increase the ability of the state to intervene in failing districts, as well as provide funding for what the Governor calls innovative strategies to end underachievement among low income and minority students.

"What we heard from the Governor today is that he's most interested in doing what works, helping students," said BART Charter Public School Principal Ben Klompus.

The house will take up the bill when it returns from holiday recess in early January.