The Massachusetts Department of Primary and Secondary Education redesign support programs and implement a multi-part grant system to increase resources and enrollment in charter schools, Catholic schools, vocational schools, and METCO (Metropolitan Council for Education Opportunity) facilities.

For Massachusetts | Education | demanded by 1 | created by Juhan Sonin

Given the current inconsistencies of the Massachusetts public school education system, the introduction and sustainability of alternative educational facilities have proven to be greatly effective in diffusing racial and economic segregation by providing students living in low-income Boston neighborhoods with the opportunity to attend schools in suburban areas (METCO, specifically). Furthermore, Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes revealed across-the-board improvements in math and reading performance for students at Boston charter schools compared with their district school counterparts (high instances of dissonance and disparity by class, race, and income).

PROBLEM BACKGROUND:

While Massachusetts has been ranked one of the best states (rated highest for combined levels of health care - #2, education - #1, crime and corrections, infrastructure, economy, opportunity, and government), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council reported in their 2017 State of Equity Report that Boston has one of the highest inequality gaps in the country (and rising). On issues of equality and racial justice, the state places 45th and 40th out of 50 states. In fact, data shows that Boston is the most unequal city in America (median white family: $265,500 in assets compared to median black family: $700); the average income for the top 20% of households in Boston exceed the bottom 20% a factor of 18 times. Specifically in the education sector, graduation rates indicate that there are glaring school-to-school inequalities by neighborhood and income - which result in some districts boasting 90% graduation rates while others lag behind at less than 50%.