District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Common Core of Learning

Speaking Out on Education

The following are comments from some of the distinguished community leaders who presented their views on the Common Core of Learning at a major two day forum in Boston in January, 1994:

"There are at least two subjects, related to law, that any high school graduate should know fairly well. . . . It is obviously, and critically important that citizens . . . understand how the city council, the state legislature, Congress and the courts at different levels work. For without such an understanding, democracy itself cannot work. Second, graduates must know American history . . . so that they understand something about the nature of freedom, how it relates to law and government, and what may be necessary to maintain it . . . ."

Stephen Breyer, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

"Knowing how to learn-that is, how to analyze and synthesize information, how to evaluate claims of truth-is as least as important as possessing any specific body of knowledge at a given moment in a student's progression through school."

Jean Dowdall, President, Simmons College

"Personal qualities must be reinforced, such as: responsibility for work to be done, discipline of being at school on time, integrity and honesty in the way in which the work will be done, and finally sociability and teamwork in getting the job done."

John Hamill, President, Fleet Bank

"The education of our young people must begin where they are, using their knowledge, experiences, cultures and languages as the basis for their learning. . . ."

Sonia Nieto, UMass/Amherst, School of Education

"If schools fail to teach them to read and write, they cannot teach them anything else, and worst of all, they rob them of the ability to learn on their own. A student who is fully literate, by contrast, is capable not merely of participating in the structured education provided by a curriculum and a classroom, but also of further independent self-education."

John Silber, President, Boston University

"Through literature and art, students can build the foundation for living well. Literature and art carry some fairly consistent messages: about compassion, self-discipline, courage, honesty, perseverance and justice."

William F. Weld, Governor of Massachusetts

"In an increasingly interdependent economy and complex marketplace, every high school graduate needs to be able to define a topic, conceptualize it, research and analyze it, and be able to present it in a clear and concise manner."

Benaree Wiley, President, The Partnership, Inc.

"Teach students non-violent ways to solve their differences, programs that utilize mediation techniques such as conflict resolution."

Beth Winship, "Ask Beth" Syndicated Columnist

The following are actual quotations from the thousands of people in Massachusetts who gave comments as the Common Core of Learning was being written in 1993 and 1994:

"Learning is a lifetime activity. The world before (our children) is unpredictable and the hope is that our schools will provide them with the tools to continue to learn, grow and adapt."

Parent, Suburban Boston

"One subject I feel I'm lacking in is my knowledge of the American Government. I think each student should know the basics before graduating."

Student, Central Massachusetts

"Children should develop the ability to reason and solve problems based on solid information and facts. They should be able to differentiate between opinions, theories and facts."

Teacher, Western Massachusetts

"We, as a community, need to teach our students to respect others. . . ."

Community Member, Southeast Massachusetts

"When understood fully and employed meaningfully the arts are crucial in helping schools and students make connections between imagination and learning, between thinking and feeling, and between the self and the environment, and most importantly, between the individual and society."

Superintendent, Northeast Massachusetts

"Critical thinking should be one of the goals of all education. It is just as important for critical thinking to be taught in English and history courses as in science and math courses. The arts are an avenue for developing creative thought and critical thinking skills."

Parent, Central Massachusetts

"In the ideal world the study of a foreign language would begin in kindergarten and continue for 13 years. The ability of American students to master a foreign language will be even more important in the future than it is today. If America is to complete in the world economy, we must have many people who can communicate in languages other than English."

Superintendent, Southeast Massachusetts

"Students should be able to adapt to change, accept responsibility and have the skills necessary for life and work."

Parent, Central Massachusetts

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