A high-stakes battle over the future of education is playing out in the state that has long had the best public schools in the nation – Massachusetts.
The likely overhaul of high school education and graduation requirements in Massachusetts is mostly aimed at lifting the academic performance of low-income black and Latino students who have been left behind in the state’s rise to the top. Leading the charge are progressive teachers’ unions and school administrations that want to broaden the scope of high school to include soft skills like teamwork and cultural awareness, as well as career training. The goal is to motivate students by aligning instruction with the workplace needs of a high-tech global economy.
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