I am writing to share a perspective that many Massachusetts voters probably do not have. During the 23 years before the 1993 Education Reform Act, I was a high school teacher, counselor and administrator, and from 1993 to the present (31 years), I have continued to work in high schools. I have helped to implement many education reform improvements, some of which Question 2 now seeks to terminate.
Before reform, many of us educators bristled when we were criticized for practicing the “subtle bigotry of low expectations.” As we implemented the Education Reform Act and its research-based strategies, we realized that we indeed had held low expectations for our students, especially students of color and students with disabilities.
Education reform’s curriculum frameworks, developed by Massachusetts teachers, clearly set higher academic expectations standards for all students. And the Legislature provided continuous higher levels of funding to ensure students were able to achieve them.
At the same time, many educators made dire predictions about the negative impacts of the more rigorous state-approved curriculum frameworks and the common MCAS testing: Dropout rates will soar! Graduation rates will plummet! Education quality will suffer!