Massachusetts Educators Celebrate Passage of the Right to Read Act in House

The Massachusetts Educator Collective for Change (MECC), a statewide cohort of educators that shape the policy agenda for Educators for Excellence-Massachusetts (E4E-MA), issued the following statement today, celebrating the House passing a compromise version of the Right to Read Act:

“Today is a victory for Massachusetts students, and for the teachers who fought for them. With the House’s first action in passage of the Right to Read Act, soon to be followed by a vote in the Senate, every child in the state will learn to read with instruction grounded in evidence, taught by educators equipped with the materials and training to do it well. We know how much this matters: Many of our third graders can’t read proficiently, and the gaps are widest for students of color, multilingual learners, and those from low-income families. As teachers, we see these gaps play out every day in our classrooms.

“This bill passed because lawmakers chose to work with teachers instead of around us. We thank House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Simon Cataldo, Senator Jason Lewis, Representative Ken Gordon, and all Conference Committee members who shaped the final bill that recognizes educators as partners and delivers what we have long asked for.

“We are also proud of the advocacy that brought us here. As members of the MECC, we wrote op-eds, met with bill sponsors, and told the story of what is at risk in our classrooms, making the case office by office for why this work could not wait. This law is the result of teachers refusing to stay quiet.

“This is a critical first step, and the real work begins now. A law is only as strong as the way it is carried out. As the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) builds the approved curriculum list and the guidance districts will rely on, teachers intend to have a front-row seat at that table. We also urge the Legislature to invest fully in this commitment through the FY27 budget, so that no district is left without the materials, training, and support the transition requires.

“Massachusetts has set a powerful precedent. We are grateful to every educator who showed up and refused to accept that some children simply will not learn to read. We look forward to partnering with DESE to get implementation right, and we call on leaders across the Commonwealth to keep this momentum going until every classroom delivers the reading instruction our students deserve.”