Citizens for Public Schools, in cooperation with other education organizations, is organizing a series of six  public forums across the state where parents, teachers, students, and other people concerned with our public schools can come together to discuss three fundamental questions:

1. What should students know and be able to do by the time they graduate from high school?
2. How should students demonstrate their readiness to graduate?
3. What should high school look like to prepare students for your recommended graduation requirements?

The first forum was on Wednesday, April 30 at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Read about it here. The next forum was in New Bedford on Saturday, May 24. Read about it here. Our third forum was in Worcester at the YWCA at on Monday, September 29. Read about it here.

The meetings follow on the approval of Question 2 last November when Massachusetts voters decisively rejected the one-size-fits-all MCAS graduation requirement, 59 to 41 percent.   → Read More

In the wake of the state’s overwhelming vote to pass Question 2 in November 2024, which eliminated the MCAS high school graduation requirement, CPS has updated its fact sheet on opting out. You can read the updated fact sheet here.

   → Read More

• Department of Elementary & Secondary Education proposes to require use of admissions lottery, but would allow schools to exclude as many as half of students from many cities based on attendance records
• DESE’s New Proposed Vocational Admissions Policy ends three barriers that discriminated against students from protected classes (Grades, Guidance Counselor Recommendations, Interviews) and eliminates ranking of applicants
• BUT It SIGNIFICANTLY RAISES THE BARRIER ATTENDANCE can play in disqualifying many students from admission
  • Statewide, over one-third of Latino, low-income, and English Learner students would be excluded from applying to vocational schools
  • In a sample of 10 Gateway Cities, 30-53% of students would be excluded from attending
• It Further Clarifies the Discipline Offenses That Exclude Students From Applying, however the criteria are still overly broad
• The Vocational Education Justice Coalition asks Governor Healey and the Board of Education to eliminate the proposed attendance criteria and more narrowly focus the discipline criteria

The Vocational Education Justice Coalition has deep concerns with the Commissioner of Education’s proposed revised regulations on vocational school admissions, to be presented to the Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE) at its February 25, 2025 meeting.   → Read More

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.   → Read More

In “Building the Bilingual Educator Pipeline,” our speakers will share their knowledge and experience with successful programs to recruit, develop and support bilingual educators in Massachusetts and the U.S., the barriers to success, and how to overcome them. You can register and learn more here.   → Read More