There are two stories in the news this morning that will have a potentially significant impact at the local level.

Massachusetts is losing a congressional seat. The Globe reports “sets the stage for state lawmakers and Governor Deval Patrick to redraw congressional districts. The new map, which would be in place by the 2012 elections, could radically alter district boundaries.”

Barney Frank is not expected to run for re-election. Other MA congressmen are considering a run against Scott Brown when he is up for re-election. Milton’s representative, Stephen Lynch is among them. You can find the Globe story here and the 2010 Census page here.

Another major development is the Massachusetts Teachers Association shift in position regarding factoring in student test results in teacher performance evaluation. The Milton Teachers Association declined to participate in applying for the federal program “Race to the Top” in part because it required that teacher performance be tied to student achievement. This has been a controversial sticking point between the Obama Administration and school reformers and the teachers unions nationwide. It is a significant change in position. You can find Boston Globe coverage of the MTA’s decision here. You can find the MTA’s call for “‘reinventing’ state evaluation system” here.