Our work
Massachusetts schools are segregated.
Together, we can change that.
Massachusetts has made important education policy improvements in recent years but still hasn’t addressed a foundational flaw: persistent segregation by race, ethnicity, and income.
If we want to deliver on the promise of equal opportunity for all we must — and can — give every child access to integrated, well-resourced public schools.
Massachusetts schools are among the most segregated in the country, especially by economic status.
Massachusetts leads the nation in public education outcomes, but beneath the surface is a hard truth: Massachusetts’s top-ranked education is not equally available to all students.
Segregated schools and school districts are denying students of color and low-income students the promise of a fair shot to live out their dreams.
Segregation data comes from The Segregation Tracking Project. Opportunity gap data comes from The Nation’s Report Card.
Massachusetts schools are the 6th most segregated by economic status
Massachusetts has the second-highest level of between-district economic segregation in the country
Massachusetts is the 5th worst state for disproportionate exposure to student poverty for students of color
Massachusetts has wide opportunity gaps by race and class
Percentage of students who are proficient in math
A letter from our Massachusetts State Director
What we can do
Dear friends,
Over the last year, our team has held listening sessions with families, students, educators, and advocates around Massachusetts.
We keep hearing the same things: They believe all children —regardless of race, class, or zip code — deserve the same opportunities to thrive, and they understand that learning with and from people of different backgrounds strengthens us all.
Segregation isn’t a given. We have solutions:
Early integration efforts were far from perfect. We have to learn from mistakes of the past, but we know from research that integration works.
We are co-creating a policy agenda with partners across the state to tackle the root cause of segregation and educational inequities, with a special focus on Lynn, Springfield, and Holyoke. We intend to equip partners and advocates with the research and tools to push for substantial change and go from conversation to transformation.
We’re powerful together, and we’re looking for support to grow our movement.
I hope you’ll join us!
Brown’s Promise
Massachusetts State Director
Community engagement sessions
May 29, 2024
August 16, 2024
September 18, 2024
Community Engagement Sessions
Springfield, MA
October 16, 2024
Community Engagement Sessions
Holyoke, MA
Massachusetts team
Cara Berg Powers
Massachusetts State Director
GeDá Jones Herbert
Chief Legal Counsel
Stephen Owens
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Get involved
If you have an idea for the best place for our next listening session, please let us know!