Recently I heard
the new Massachusetts Commissioner of K-12 Education, Jeffrey Riley, share his
vision for K-12 education in the Commonwealth.
Commissioner Riley has spent the better part of his first year on the
job visiting schools, talking to students, teachers, and administrators, and
listening to parents, legislative leaders, and education advocates offer their perspectives
and hopes and dreams for Massachusetts children.
The Commissioner
explained in a report to the State Board of Education how important it is to
take the many successes of education reform and reset expectations moving
forward. He said the need is urgent to
reconsider priorities in light of a dynamic workforce and interconnected world
community:
“We are preparing
students for a world that is changing at an accelerating rate. Our graduates will switch jobs – and even
careers – frequently throughout their lives, and many of those jobs have yet to
be invented. The goal of education is no
longer simply to possess knowledge; instead, leveraging ever-smarter
technology, students must learn to access knowledge, mine it for relevance, and
apply it in new ways. Employers are
increasingly valuing skills and dispositions, which can be challenging to
measure, on par with content expertise.
And with soaring tuitions and an uncertain return on investment from the
traditional college experience, students need additional options for pathways
and credentials that bridge K-12, higher education, and employment.” (The
Commissioner’s Report to the Board: Our Way Forward for Massachusetts K-12
Public Education June 2019)
The Commissioner
has identified four key themes for growth, discovery, and exploration:
i
Deeper
Learning for All
ii
Holistic
Support and Enrichment
iii
Innovation
and Evidenced-Based Practices
iv
The
State as a Partner
Within each of
these areas, the Commissioner proposes opportunities, new ways of thinking, and
pathways for development. For example, within
the theme of Deeper Learning for All,
the Commissioner proposes that schools consider expanded or new opportunities
for innovative and hands on instruction; ensuring that expectations for all
students are high and academically challenging; connecting students to learning
experiences outside of the classroom and community; reconsidering policies, practices,
and schedules that impede learning for all.
These ideas align perfectly with Needham’s recently adopted Portrait of a Needham Graduate, and I look forward to understanding how the Commissioner’s
vision and our work here locally can help us boost learning for each student in
Needham’s classrooms. Stay tuned as the
year unfolds for more information and progress updates!
You can read the
Commissioner’s full report here: Our Way Forward
