More than three years after calling on the state to revamp what they said were unfair and discriminatory admission practices at regional vocational schools, a group of Massachusetts mayors says little has changed – and they are calling on the new Healey administration to take decisive action on the issue. 

Admission policies at the schools have been the focus of controversy for several years, as local officials, civil rights groups, and other advocates decried state regulations that allow voc-tech schools to use selective criteria, such as middle school grades and attendance records, in admitting students. The result, they say, is that many of the students who would benefit most from hands-on learning and training in skilled trades – who may have struggled with a traditional classroom structure – are being shut out of that opportunity. 

In a 2020 letter to then-Education Secretary Jim Peyser, the mayors called on the state to institute a lottery-based admission system at vocational schools that would give all students an equal chance at a seat. “Unfortunately, that did not happen,” the group of 25 mayors wrote in a letter this month to the new Healey administration education secretary, Patrick Tutwiler. Instead, they say, the state education department “instituted a set of half-measures that have failed to end pervasive discrimination in vocational admissions.” 

The state “has known about this problem for years. It has failed at every turn to seize responsibility for it,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford, who has led the effort by municipal leaders demanding changes to the admissions policies. 

Vocational schools, many of which are oversubscribed and have waiting lists, are able to consider applicants’ middle school grades, attendance, and discipline record in their admissions process. Voc-tech schools say the policies are critical to ensuring that their students are prepared for the demands of the schools, where they must take standard academic courses along with rotating through different vocational subjects. 

Responding to criticism that the admissions policies were disproportionately excluding students of color, English language learners, special education students, and those from low-income households, the state tweaked the regulations in 2021. The new regulations prohibit schools from considering excused absences or minor discipline infractions in the admissions scoring.

But a coalition of civil rights and community groups said the changes did little to change big disparities in admission of students from groups protected by federal law. Earlier this year, they filed a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Education. 

According to the filing, 55 percent of students of color who applied to a regional vocational school for the 2022-23 school year were accepted, compared with 69 percent of white students. For English learners, the acceptance rate was 44 percent compared with 64 percent of non-English learners. Of students with disabilities, 54 percent were admitted compared with 65 percent of those without disabilities, according to the complaint, and for low-income students, the acceptance rate was 54 percent versus 72 percent for students from better-off backgrounds.

Though the mayors and the Vocational Education Justice Coalition say they’re hoping a change in administrations will bring a change in policy, the Healey administration is so far treading carefully on the issue.

“We are committed to continuing to promote broad and equitable access to career and technical education for our students and families,” Tutwiler, the education secretary, said in a statement in response to the mayors’ letter. “In this effort, we continue to look at data and engage with stakeholders to identify and address any barriers to access.” 

Lew Finfer, a leader of the Vocational Education Justice Coalition, said the group has had two meetings with Tutwiler on the issue, the first in May and a second in August. “He mostly listened and said he wanted to look at more data,” said Finfer. Finfer said he doubts enrollment data for the new school year will show change from the disparities seen in last year’s entering class, when the new regulations were already in place. 

“For those who care most about equity in education, this should be recognized for what it is, which is a glaring inequity,” said Mitchell, the New Bedford mayor. “Under the last administration, the state punted on it. Now the question is, what’s the state going to do about it?” 

MICHAEL JONAS

 

FROM COMMONWEALTH

A new Tobin Bridge on the menu: The Healey administration is beginning to plan for the “eventual replacement” of the Tobin Bridge, a gateway between Boston and communities north of the city. Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said a request for proposals on a transportation consultant for the project could be released as soon as Friday. Read more.

OPINION

Physician portability: State representatives Smitty Pignatelli of Lenox and Aaron Saunders of Belchertown say Massachusetts should be part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, to enable qualified doctors to practice across state lines without having to deal with costly, time-consuming, and redundant obstacles. Read more.

 

FROM AROUND THE WEB

MUNICIPAL MATTERS  

Municipal governments in the state are shelling out thousands of dollars to media organizations for legal fees after court rulings that they wrongly rejected or ignored public records requests. (WBUR) 

Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell wants the city to produce data on the police deployment strategy used in a late August incident when mobs of teenagers created havoc at the South Bay shopping center. (Boston Herald) 

HEALTH/HEALTH CARE

The Massachusetts Nurses Association says Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has threatened a lock-out if its members follow through on threats to hold a one-day strike next week at its satellite facility in Methuen. (Eagle-Tribune) 

A proposed bill would allow MassHealth pregnant individuals and postpartum individuals access doula services without having to pay out-of-pocket within the first year after pregnancy. (MassLive)

Gov. Maura Healey says she is “reviewing the situation” at UMass Memorial Health, which is planning to shutter its maternity unit in Leominster on Saturday. (Worcester Telegram)

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Former president Donald Trump, who has trumpeted his role in overturning Roe vs. Wade by appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices, is facing blowback from anti-abortion forces for waffling on the issue of what restrictions on abortion should now be put in place. (Washington Post)

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Hybrid work arrangements may be here to stay, according to the latest data and policies employers are moving to make permanent. (Boston Globe) 

Software marketing firm Klaviyo became the first Boston-area tech firm to go public in two years with this week’s initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. (Boston Globe)

EDUCATION

A week after the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University announced layoffs of half of its staff, BU said it is launching an inquiry into the center, which it said has been the focus of complaints centered on its culture and financial management. (Boston Globe)

The Holyoke School Committee is asking the state to end its receivership of the city’s schools, which has been in place for eight years. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

Testing of private wells, which provide water for about half a million Massachusetts residents, lags behind other water sources in the state. A bill would support water sampling and require that private wells be tested when real estate is transferred between owners. (Worcester Telegram)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

The Plymouth County sheriff’s office has renewed its contract to hold federal immigration detainees. It is the only remaining Massachusetts county with such a contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (GBH News)

Former longtime Brockton police chief Manny Gomes submitted an “Alford plea” in a case involving a three-car wreck, admitting that if the negligent driving charge against him went to court, he’d likely be found guilty. (The Enterprise)

MEDIA

Media titan Rupert Murdoch is retiring from the Fox and News Corporation boards, leaving his son Lachlan the sole executive in charge of the global media empire. (New York Times)