Massachusetts

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Massachusetts
Young boy and female adult studying at library.
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English-Language Learners How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an English Learner Program
Experts offer advice on best practices for evaluating districts' English learner programs.
Ileana Najarro, September 11, 2023
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5 min read
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Steven Senne/AP
States Massachusetts Joins Short List of States Providing Free School Meals to All
States are stepping in where federal COVID-relief aid dropped off.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 16, 2023
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4 min read
A third grade student raises their hands during a Slow Reveal Graph exercise about colors of national flags around the world at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., on June 1, 2023. Driscoll Math Specialist Jenna Laib curates a website for Slow Reveal Graphs, which are instructional routines that promote sense making about data by gradually revealing information.
Students raise their hands during a "slow reveal" exercise on data use in a 3rd grade class at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., in June.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Mathematics Photos Graphs Are Hard for Students to Digest. Can a 'Slow Reveal' Help?
Follow along as a math specialist uses a "slow reveal" graph to teach a statistical lesson on countries' national flags.
Jaclyn Borowski & Sarah D. Sparks, July 31, 2023
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3 min read
First grader June Ferguson participates in a Slow Reveal Graph exercise about heart rates in animals led by Jenna Laib, the math specialist at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., in June. Laib curates a website for the program, which provides instructional routines that help students make sense of data by gradually revealing information.
First grader June Ferguson participates in a Slow Reveal Graph exercise about heart rates in animals led by Jenna Laib, the math specialist at Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., in June. Laib curates a website for the program, which helps students make sense of data by gradually revealing information.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Mathematics Project Finding Time for Math Across the Curriculum
When the curriculum relegates data and statistics to the back of the textbook, teachers find ways to teach those skills earlier.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 31, 2023
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7 min read
Photo of teachers working with instructor.
E+ / Getty
Professional Development How On-Demand PD for Teachers Is Paying Off for This District
The Cambridge, Mass., district created more than two dozen online courses to help teachers master tech tools and other skills.
Alyson Klein, July 10, 2023
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4 min read
Supporters of a bill to create a "parents' bill of rights" attend a rally outside the New Hampshire Statehouse on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Concord, N.H. The rally was held ahead of a public hearing on the bill in the House Education Committee.
Supporters of a bill to create a "parents' bill of rights" attend a rally outside the New Hampshire Statehouse on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Concord, N.H. New Hampshire is one of six states where parents have sued districts over keeping their children's pronouns secret and allegedly violating their rights.
Holly Ramer/AP
Equity & Diversity Parents Are Suing Schools Over Pronoun Policies. Here's What You Need to Know
Parents in six states have sued school districts for not requiring staff to disclose their children's chosen names and pronouns.
Eesha Pendharkar, May 12, 2023
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11 min read
conceptual illustration of 2 figures atop unequal boxes of summer experiences
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Frances Coch/iStock + Getty images
Student Achievement Opinion Effective Summer Learning: ‘We Already Know How to Do This’
There’s no path to education equity that doesn’t include summer programs.
Chris Smith & Paul Reville, May 2, 2023
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3 min read
Special education teacher Savannah Tucker works with Bode Jasper at the Early Childhood Education Center in Tupelo, Miss., on May 14, 2019. As the special education population has grown, so has mainstreaming - bringing these students into regular classrooms for at least part of their school days.
Special education teacher Savannah Tucker works with Bode Jasper at the Early Childhood Education Center in Tupelo, Miss., on May 14, 2019. Special education costs are rising, particularly as student needs have grown more complex since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomas Wells/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP
Budget & Finance Special Education Is Getting More Expensive, Forcing Schools to Make Cuts Elsewhere
States and districts share the disproportionate cost burden of supporting a complex, growing, and vulnerable population.
Mark Lieberman, April 20, 2023
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8 min read
Swampscott High School students and Senior Center members hold a quilt they made together for Black History Month at Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023.
Students and senior center members display a quilt they made together for Black History Month at Swampscott High School, in Swampscott, Mass, on March 8, 2023. The high school and senior center were designed and built to be part of the same complex, providing opportunities for teenagers and senior community members to collaborate and learn from one another.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Families & the Community Q&A How One High School Became a Model for Intergenerational Learning
School and community leaders say “there’s no down side.”
Caitlynn Peetz, March 22, 2023
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5 min read
A Swampscott Senior Center bus sits in front of an entrance to Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023. As America’s population ages and the number of school-aged children decrease, district and community leaders are finding ways to combine services and locations.
A Swampscott Senior Center bus sits in front of an entrance to Swampscott High School, which is collocated and shares space with the senior center in Swampscott, Mass., on March 8, 2023. As America’s population ages and the number of school-aged children decrease, district and community leaders are finding ways to combine services and locations.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Families & the Community A Town Put a Senior Center in Its High School, Offering a Model for an Aging Nation
When crowded classrooms pushed Swampscott, Mass., to consider building a new high school, some innovative thinkers saw another opportunity.
Caitlynn Peetz, March 13, 2023
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7 min read
Andria Amador, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services for Boston Public Schools, holds out a bucket to Veda Peteet, 3, Zara Peteet, 5, and Tom Peteet, 40, while hosting a table at Building Balance, a mental health event at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass., on Jan. 21, 2023.
Andria Amador, the senior director of behavioral health services for Boston Public Schools, with Veda Peteet, 3, Zara Peteet, 5, and Tom Peteet, 40, during a mental health event at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Student Well-Being Leader To Learn From A 'Saleslady' Got One District to Prioritize Students' Mental Health
Over the past decade, Andria Amador has reshaped mental health in the Boston school district with a commitment to prevention over reaction.
Libby Stanford, February 6, 2023
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9 min read
Families pass by a table hosted by Andria Amador, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services for Boston Public Schools, at Building Balance, a mental health event at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass., on January 21, 2023.
Families walk past a table staffed by Andria Amador, the senior director of behavioral health services at Boston public schools, during Building Balance, a mental health event at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Student Well-Being Photo Essay PHOTOS: Mental Health and a Day at the Museum
EdWeek photographer Sophie Park reflects on her day with Andria Amador, a 2023 Leaders To Learn From honoree.
February 6, 2023
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1 min read
Andria Amador, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services for Boston Public Schools, stands for a portrait before hosting a table at Building Balance, a mental health event at the Museum of Science in Boston, Mass. on January 21, 2023.
Andria Amador, the senior director of behavioral health services in Boston, created a unique partnership with a local hospital, university, and community groups to create a mental health corps trained to meet students' needs.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Student Well-Being Q&A Schools Can Transform Student Mental Health. Here's How One District Leader Did It
Andria Amador teamed up with a renowned hospital and university to build a pipeline of mental health workers for the Boston school district.
Libby Stanford, February 6, 2023
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5 min read
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Getty / Igor Alecsander
Curriculum Q&A Buying Curriculum Isn’t Enough to Change Teaching and Learning. Here’s What It Takes
Buying a research-backed curriculum is the easy part. Providing the training and support to use it takes years, district leaders say.
Sarah Schwartz, December 16, 2022
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6 min read
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