Pat is a former VISTA volunteer and high school social studies teacher. A graduate of Swarthmore College, she received an MA in teaching from Harvard , and completed Master’s course work in history at UMass Boston.

Pat served on the Somerville School Committee (1976-91) and as State Representative (1991-2005). As school committee member, she helped found the Council for Fair School Finance, which brought the successful lawsuit that led to Massachusetts' education reform of 1993 and brought hundreds of millions of dollars in new state aid to communities. She also helped found the CHOICE program, which for decades offered Somerville families the option of classes focused on learning by doing, small groups, and parent involvement. Since then, many of these practices have been adopted throughout the school system.

She was elected to the State Senate in 2005 and represents Medford and Somerville, and parts of Cambridge and Winchester.

 She and her husband, Alain, have three children and three granddaughters, all educated in the Somerville Public Schools.

She is Senate chair of the Joint Committees on Elder Affairs and on Labor and Workforce Development. She is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Housing and the Caucus of Women Legislators.

See a list of Pat’s current legislation and their status here. See more information on some bills here.

Pat is a leader in the fight for:

• Adequate funding for our public schools

• Less testing, more learning

• Public transit and the Green Line Extension

• Mystic River cleanup and access

• Home care and Adult Day Health

• LGBT rights

• Enough pay to stay for direct care workers

Named Legislator of the year by:

• Home Care Alliance 

• Mass. Developmental Disabilities Council and the Arc 

• Citizens for Public Schools

• Assisted Living Federation

• National Organization for Women

• Friends of the Middlesex Fells

• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys

• Equal Justice Coalition

• Animal Control Officers Association 

• Grey2K

• Statewide Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Other awards:

• Dignity Alliance

• Mass. Association of School Committees

• Mass. Department of Mental Health

• Mystic Valley NAACP

• Mass. Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health

• Mass. Council of Home Care Aide Services

• Somerville Cambridge Elder Services

• Mass. Correctional Legal Services

• Mass. Council of Home Care Aide Services

• Somerville Cambridge Elder Services

Awards as a representative:

• Young Worker Justice Award from MassCOSH

• Outstanding Legislator of the Year from Statewide Advisory Council for the Mass. Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• Legislator of the year, Mass. Senior Action Council

• CPPAX

• Mass. Peace Action