Three Newton residents on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) will help shape new literacy rules at a virtual special meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Vice-Chair Matt Hills, member Farzana Mohamed and Dr. Martin West are among 11 board members set to discuss proposed regulations for a law Gov. Maura Healey signed June 26. The law requires school districts to adopt evidence-based reading curricula for kindergarten through third grade, screen students' reading ability at least twice a year and strengthen teacher preparation programs.
The meeting runs from 6 to 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed.
What it means for Newton families
The regulations will determine how districts like Newton Public Schools implement the new requirements. Districts must use evidence-based literacy instruction or apply for a waiver to use curricula not pre-approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE must also develop a free, high-quality K-3 literacy curriculum available to all districts.
Statewide 2026 MCAS results released Sept. 22 showed just 40% of students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, MassLive reported. That was down two percentage points from 2025 and 12 points from 2019.
DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez said in September that the state was "still not where we want to be in terms of our results" on literacy.
Newton members on the board
Hills, a managing director at LLM Capital Partners, served on the Newton School Committee from 2010 to 2018, including stints as chair and collective bargaining lead. His four children all attended Newton Public Schools K-12, according to the BESE members page.
Mohamed holds two master's degrees from MIT in environmental engineering and urban studies and planning. Her son attends a Newton public elementary school. West, a professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and editor-in-chief of the journal Education Next, has two sons in Newton public schools.
What the law requires
The literacy law also codifies dyslexia screening requirements, expands paid teaching apprenticeships in high-needs districts and creates an Early Literacy Fund. The state awarded nearly $24.7 million in August to 71 districts and one educational collaborative for evidence-based literacy instruction.
At the June 26 signing, Healey said Massachusetts "is the best state in the nation for education, but we know there is a lot more that needs to be done, especially when it comes to early literacy."
How to watch
The Oct. 13 meeting is discussion only. No vote is scheduled. The agenda was posted Oct. 7. Residents needing accommodations or interpretation services must contact the board at least 48 hours before the meeting at 781-338-3112 or [email protected].
