There is currently legislation before the Massachusetts House and Senate that, as currently drafted, would mandate the use of specific literacy curriculum and restrict educators from implementing effective practices. The House Committee on Ways & Means is considering H.4642, which could soon be up for a vote on the House floor. In addition, Senators on the Joint Committee on Education are considering S.338.

Both bills empower the state to require all school districts to use specific literacy curriculum and they present certain components of reading instruction as if they are exhaustive and universally applicable to all students. They seek to prohibit activities or lesson plans that have any inclusion of “implicit and incidental instruction in word reading, visual memorization of whole words, guessing from context, and picture cues, which may also be known as MSV or three-cueing.” As just one example, using “picture cues” could be one part of a holistic and effective instructional approach for certain students, particularly multilingual learners, but it would be explicitly prohibited in instruction under these bills as currently drafted.

We know, as educators, that one-size-fits-all approaches are not the answer to addressing gaps in reading and literacy skills. Legislating in a specific manner how educators must teach and how students must learn is deeply problematic given that education is not static, and in this instance, doing so could deny many students access to the literacy instruction that could most effectively help them. Curriculum and instructional decisions should be made at the local level. Educators have also been clear that what we need to most effectively support our students are more resources, including funds for districts to hire more reading specialists, special education teachers and librarians.

We need your help in urging legislators to listen to educators on literacy by continuing to invest in our public schools and opposing mandated, one-size-fits-all approaches to literacy curriculum and instruction. Please email your senator and representative right away and urge them to listen to public school educators, the experts on literacy. Please also consider calling your legislators to follow up on your email. You can find their phone numbers by clicking here.