Press Release: 1/29/2026
MTA raises concerns about literacy bill shortcomings
January 27, 2026
Urge your senator to listen to educators on literacy
We need your help in urging senators to support Amendments 25, 26 and 30 to S.2924. These amendments reflect the expert perspective of the educators who are working in the classroom every day to support our students.
As the state Senate moves toward adopting legislation governing literacy instruction, the Massachusetts Teachers Association is pleased to see improvements to the bill that was passed by the House, including the removal of language banning specific instructional practices in our classrooms. The MTA, however, remains concerned that any mandated curriculum will inevitably leave behind some students who are struggling with reading.
“Curriculum mandates are an oversimplified response to a complex problem,” said MTA President Max Page. “There is no proof that such mandates yield sustained success in any of the states that have passed so-called literacy laws. Massachusetts has always been a leader in education, and we should not follow misguided national trends. Having more trained reading specialists in public schools, adequate funds for school libraries and trained library staff, and high-quality professional development for educators who are given the autonomy to engage in best practices — these are the keys to success, not scripted curriculum packages.”
The MTA’s concerns with the bill under consideration include:
- Limited information on what is under consideration for “approved” curriculum. Programs mentioned as “evidence based” each have significant shortcomings, ranging from being culturally destructive to having an overreliance on digital resources.
- While the Senate is prepared to add funding for districts that need to purchase new curriculum packages, the proposed one-time investment of $25 million will not go far, since projected costs for curriculum changes across the state reach hundreds of millions of dollars.
- The waiver process is not structured to support proven results but instead is focused on bending school districts toward compliance with theoretical approaches.
“My decades of experience in the classroom have me convinced that the educators in front of students are far more important than any one curriculum package when it comes to teaching reading,” said MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy, who taught elementary school in Hull prior to being elected and who holds specialized certifications in literacy education.
The MTA supports the continuing development of the Appleseed reading curriculum that the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers at no cost, as long as educators who teach literacy skills are involved in expanding the curriculum.
“Moving away from private corporations selling packaged curricula is a positive step,” McCarthy said. “Greater coordination between educators and DESE, resources from the state to support trainings and increased staffing for reading specialists and librarians will produce more authentic and longer lasting improvements in student literacy.”