Western Massachusetts People’s Forum

For immediate release: October 1, 2025
Contact: Doug Selwyn dougselwyn@aol.com; 206 679 0189; Rick Last: (rick.lewis.last@gmail.com; 413 265 3425

Register for the forum: https://fccpr.us/news/peoples-forum-on-graduation-readiness/

Western Massachusetts area residents will gather together on zoom to have conversations about the education we want for our children. These conversations will take place on Wednesday evening, October 22nd, from 6:30-8 pm

The conversations will be structured around three questions:

• What should students know and be able to do by the time they graduate from high school?
• How should students demonstrate their readiness to graduate?
• How can schools, pre-K to 12, support these goals?

The forum is being organized by Citizens for Public Schools (CPS), Franklin County Continuing the Revolution Education Task Force, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and it is endorsed by several community and statewide organizations. This forum is one of a series being held across the state.

Last November, the voters passed Question 2 on the state ballot, ending the MCAS graduation requirement by a 59 to 41 percent vote. All of Western Massachusetts voted to end the MCAS as a graduation requirement, with 71% of Greenfield, 74% of Northampton and 68.5% of Amherst voting in favor of Question 2. It is now up to local school districts to certify that a student deserves a high school diploma based on criteria they identify.

Now that we are free of the MCAS as a graduation requirement we have the opportunity to have a real conversation about the education we want for our children. We have the opportunity to come together to listen to each other as we explore how our schools can meet the needs of all of our students.

“It’s important to seize this rare opportunity to change things up and implement graduation requirements that promote the kind of learning that diverse stakeholders agree is important, rather than revert to the status quo,” said Lisa Guisbond, Executive Director of Citizens for Public Schools. “Any new requirements should reflect the knowledge and views of a wide range of residents, especially those closest to schools: parents, students, and teachers.”

The views and ideas of those taking part in the forums will be compiled, shared with the Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council, , with DESE, with school districts across the state, with forum participants and with the media.

Language interpretation will be available for the zoom meeting.

Please contact Doug Selwyn (dougselwyn@aol.com) or Rick Last (rick.lewis.last@gmail.com) for more information.
Register for the forum here: https://fccpr.us/news/peoples-forum-on-graduation-readiness/
Thank you.
Doug Selwyn and Rick Last