WINDING THEIR WAY along the red brick and red painted Freedom Trail, Boston tourists eventually find themselves in front of the Old North Church. Their eyes may seek out the bell tower where lanterns famously beamed out – one if by land, and two if by sea – a warning of arriving British troops. But […]
Education
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Educator diversity must become a priority in our schools
EDUCATION POLICYMAKERS and politicians say they are concerned about a growing educator shortage bearing down on our public schools. But for years, our students of color have been crying out about the lack of educators who look like them. The state’s education establishment and individual school district administrators, who are responsible for hiring educators, in […]
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MTA gearing up to push for new ballot questions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS in 2024 could be asked to settle two major education debates, but retailers may pass on bringing tax cuts to next year’s ballot. The state’s largest teacher’s union is considering ballot questions that would eliminate the graduation requirement associated with statewide standardized testing and create a “debt free college […]
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Mass. scrambles after affirmative action ruling
EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND government entities in the Bay State expressed outrage and despair at the US Supreme Court decision striking down the use of race in college admissions, which sets up an uncertain path to boosting diversity across schools and workforces. The court considered two cases challenging affirmative action – at Harvard and the University […]
Posted inCourts, Education
Supreme Court strikes down use of race in admissions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE NATION’S HIGHEST COURT on Thursday declared that two major colleges violated the Constitution by considering a student’s race as a factor in admissions, a landmark decision that sent shockwaves through the higher education industry and generated condemnation, disappointment, and criticism from many corners. The US Supreme Court’s conservative majority restricted […]
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Lessons for Boston on school consolidation
THE BOSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE voted last month to merge four elementary schools into two school communities – the Pauline A. Shaw with the Charles A. Taylor in Mattapan, and the John D. Philbrick with the Charles Sumner in Roslindale. Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper also recently announced their intention to rebuild and expand […]
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Bill aims to strengthen teacher diversity by weakening seniority rights
THERE IS STRONG research evidence that minority students benefit from being in a classroom with a teacher of their background, but Pavel Payano says he knows it from on-the-ground experience. As an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who arrived in Lawrence at age 6 with his parents, he saw the difference Hispanic teachers made for […]
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Riley rips Boston schools – again
CALL IT THE double-secret probation of Massachusetts public schooling. State education commissioner Jeff Riley is livid at leaders of the Boston Public Schools, from the mayor on down, and he’s letting everyone know it. But he’s made it clear, so far at least, that he has no interest in exercising his ultimate authority and taking control […]
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Sex ed gets an update in state’s new curriculum framework
ABSTINENCE IS A WORD that appears frequently in the state’s current curriculum framework for health education, which was released nearly 25 years ago in 1999. The 1999 framework, a guide for what should be taught in schools across the state, urges educators to “explain the benefits of abstinence, postponing sexual behavior, and setting limits on […]
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Peyser says ed reform overpromised
IT’S HARD TO imagine a sweeping education initiative driven by a theme like “Making Steady Gains, Little by Little,” or “Inch by Inch,” to borrow from the popular children’s song about gardening. Incrementalism is not something that it’s easy to rally big support for – or big outlays of new public spending. Instead, policymakers and […]