Secretary Reville Letter to the Globe Editor: Readiness Reform Work Built on Partnerships

To the editor:

Governor Patrick has filed bold legislation to provide teachers and districts with the tools they need to transform underperforming schools and promote innovative practices in building schools of excellence in partnership with teachers.

Far from taking away rights from teachers, as Ed Doherty falsely asserts (“Hurting the teachers won’t help students,” Aug. 22), our legislation adds a host of new rights, responsibilities and opportunities and is a major step in the direction of "professionalizing" teaching. The bill firmly puts teachers in the driver's seat vesting unprecedented responsibility and authority in individual school faculties (rather than district-wide unions or administrators).

We agree with Mr. Doherty's emphasis on treating poverty as a root cause of low performance which is why our legislation, drafted after exhaustive, respectful consultation with unions (who we regard as partners in this work), includes the student supports Mr. Doherty's prescribes. But in the end, we unapologetically focus on teachers (rather than unions), students and learning.

When your partners in reform call for reasonable changes in the interest of better serving children and closing achievement gaps, then maybe it’s time to start listening. We must work together, not against each other, if we are to deliver the world class education that all students deserve.

Paul Reville

Education Secretary