LONG BEFORE OTHER states, Massachusetts understood that a democratic republic can’t endure without a good public education system. Its constitution, written by John Adams in 1780, requires that it “cherish” education. […]
Common Core
Posted inArts and Culture
Common Core’s slashing of fiction drains life out of schools
“LIVE, THEN, AND be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget,” reads The Count of Monte Cristo by French novelist Alexandre Dumas, “that… all human wisdom is contained […]
Posted inEducation
Falling short on school standards and funding
AS MASSACHUSETTS MARKS the 25th anniversary of a landmark Education Reform Act that propelled us to the head of the national class in public education, the Commonwealth’s latest results from […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Common Core supports great teaching
AS A TEACHER passionate about the subject of civics, I am dedicated to the idea that every student leaves my classroom with the tools to succeed as a citizen of […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Massachusetts gets demographic boost, but still scores at top
Amidst all the debate about which annual standardized test to use in Massachusetts — and whether we are testing too much or attaching too many consequences to its outcomes — […]
Posted inEducation
Pioneer pans PARCC, Common Core
A DAY AFTER a group of Massachusetts educators called on the state to adopt the new PARCC test, Boston-based Pioneer Institute issued a detailed report calling the Common Core-aligned PARCC […]
Posted inEducation
State faces testing showdown
Photographs by Kathleen Dooher IN 2010, WHEN the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to adopt the Common Core State Standards, it marked a big moment for the […]