Education

While the courts confirmed that the state was responsible for adequately educating all students, the Education Reform Act made no substantive change to the longstanding tradition of using local school districts to manage and direct the delivery of educational services. 

Especially for disadvantaged kids who may not have as many family and friends who attended college or who work in leading sectors, we need to build stronger connections between what students are learning and experiencing in high school and the careers that await them when they graduate.

The system’s opaqueness presents obstacles, particularly for low-income students who can be unaware of the significant financial aid available to them. Other states and even regions within Massachusetts have successfully implemented technological solutions to offer students a transparent and user-friendly portal to access this critical information. It’s time for our state to follow suit.

Despite our best efforts, the gap between the percentage of educators of color and students of color is expected to continue to widen in the coming years. 

Even traditional liberals are beginning to wonder whether progressive ideology, or “wokeness,” on college campuses has gone too far, and become its own form of discrimination and free speech suppression.

“Universally free” is a clear message. Clear messages are effective. Remember that the Legislature and the Healey administration made school meals universally free for a similar reason — it’s a barrier buster.

A plan gaining traction with Massachusetts lawmakers to make community college free for all may be appealing, but it could hurt students who would do better attending a four-year college.