Boston (SHNS) – Committing $1.5 billion to the public education system by 2027, three years after the Student Opportunities Act was signed to address educational inequities, for low-income and minority students has fallen further behind its classmates in the wake of the pandemic era. School closures and hybrid learning, according to a report released Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership, a coalition of education advocacy groups, advises legislators to use surplus federal and state funds to invest in early-to-postsecondary initiatives statewide.

“Even before COVID-19, the same metrics that brought us high overall rankings show that black and Latino students in Massachusetts, and education from low-income Our results for English learners and students with disabilities were even more concerning,” the report said. I’m here.

Proponents said inequalities that existed before the pandemic have widened. Her third-grade grade-level reading rates for Blacks and Latinos dropped from 38% to 32% and 28%, respectively, while white students remained stable at about 61%.

MEEP hopes to tap into pandemic recovery funds (of which $3.7 billion is allocated for post-2020 education), as well as funding from the Student Opportunities Act.

Recommendations include investing in early education programs that operate outside of traditional office hours, introducing a statewide pay scale to help early childhood educators reduce rapid turnover in the field, and educators of color. This includes funding high retention programs for , increasing need volume and accessibility. State-based scholarships including MassGrant and MassGrant Plus.

Natasha Ushomirsky, Massachusetts Director of The Education Trust, said at a MEEP panel on Wednesday: “What we need is the will and leadership to really take advantage of this moment.”

At the early education level, MEEP allows state leaders to enforce statewide quality standards and use financial incentives to develop hard-to-find programs, such as linguistically diverse programs and programs that operate out of traditional office hours. We recommend expanding access to care.

Massachusetts now has 354,000 children aged 0 to 5, while the early education and childcare system has 220,000, according to Wednesday’s report titled “No Equality, No Excellence.” We only have the capacity to accommodate people and the cost of raising children for this age group. Massachusetts has the best in the country.

Proponents also recommend introducing a statewide pay scale for early childhood educators, who are often paid less than K-12 public school teachers.

Ushomirsky also stressed that states should aim for a workforce that “represents the children and families that educators serve” in both early education and K-12 schools.

The MEEP report recommends that state leaders invest in “high retention residency and community pipeline programs with a proven track record of success for educators of color” in K-12 public schools. I’m here.

Devin Morris, co-founder and executive director of The Teacher’s Lounge, a non-profit organization dedicated to recruiting and retaining educators of color throughout Greater Boston and statewide. , said it was important for students of color to share their real-world experiences with their educators. classroom.

He quoted a phrase popularized by James I. Charlton, a South African disability advocate.

The Coalition also advocates state standards that “enhance the history, achievements, and critical writings of communities of color and combat racial and cultural bias.”

Ushomirsky referred to the educational philosophy of “mirrors and windows”. This is the idea that students learn best when they see their identity in the curriculum and in the classroom, and when they have the opportunity to learn about the experiences of others.

“In Massachusetts, we have a system that gives students of color, primarily windows, a glimpse into other experiences,” she said. “Our white students mostly look in mirrors – reflections of themselves. We have to make sure that we have to change that.”

Regarding post-secondary education, MEEP calls on state leaders to focus on expanding college access and affordability. The Coalition recommends implementing a statewide curriculum for postsecondary planning and career exploration, including compulsory courses for middle and high school students.

It also creates guidelines to increase the amount of state scholarships available to the state as needed and to ensure that all students enrolled in public universities receive “the support they need to complete their degree.” I also advocate doing so.

OneGoal Massachusetts Executive Director Amanda Seider said: “We can undo what we were doing before the pandemic, we can go back to the old ways, and many of these challenges and disparities will continue to permeate our system. , can be done in another way.”