CPS Executive Director Lisa Guisbond spoke to the Massachusetts Education Secretary, Interim Commissioner and members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at the January 28, 2025 BESE meeting. Here are her comments: Good morning. I am Lisa Guisbond, Executive Director of Citizens for Public Schools, a public education advocacy organization. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
In the wake of the overwhelming vote in favor of Question 2, we have the opportunity to forge a path forward that will do justice to our talented students and educators, in all of their extraordinary diversity.
Voters spoke loudly and clearly, especially in our less affluent, more diverse cities and towns, rejecting an outmoded one-size-fits-few system. I urge those involved with developing requirements going forward to avoid the trap of imposing a new one-size-fits-few solution.
Instead, let’s look at successful alternatives, solicit input from educators (including teachers of the year) as well as other stakeholders, especially parents and advocates for students with disabilities and English learners.
Let’s learn from models in states such as New York, whose Blue Ribbon Commission embarked on a multiyear process with 86 community forums across the state, in person and virtual. One was devoted exclusively to students, another to higher education and the business community. More than 3,300 stakeholders participated; another 2,700 people sent in comments.
What emerged was a decision to end the Regents graduation requirements. New York did not replace the exit exams with a requirement that students take a traditional academic course sequence. Instead, after reviewing a variety of approaches nationally and globally, they came up with a “portrait of a graduate” reflecting seven areas in which students must show proficiency: 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking and problem solving; social and emotional skills; digital literacy; basic life and career skills and financial literacy. Students will demonstrate competency in a variety of ways, including performance assessments, capstone projects, experiential and work-based opportunities.
Such a system could create schools that are more engaging and relevant, something a Brookings Institution survey found is tragically lacking. It found that just 33% of 10th graders say they get to develop their own ideas in school. While 74 percent of 3rd graders say they love school, by 10th grade, it’s just 26 percent. School feels like prison, teenagers told Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, the authors of The Disengaged Teen. The more time they spend in school, the less they feel like the authors of their own lives.
Do Massachusetts students feel this way? We can find out and make a change.
In conclusion, we have an opportunity to undergo a thoughtful and inclusive process. This process must devote the necessary time to center the knowledge and views of those who will be called upon to implement these changes and those who will be most affected — educators, parents/guardians, and students from diverse communities. Thank you.
