Our 2026 Condition of Education Action Guide, From a Strong Foundation to a Stronger Future: Updating Massachusetts Learning Standards, looks at strengthening Massachusetts’ education system to better prepare students to thrive amid profound economic, social, and technological shifts. It examines how we can use the state's education standards to adapt teaching and learning through three shifts: identifying and prioritizing the essential academic foundations required to access complex content; moving from grade-specific standards to mastery-based progressions; and refocusing standards to emphasize uniquely human skills.
This conversation takes these ideas further, featuring report co-author Annelise Buzaid alongside district leaders and system partners. Together they explore how Massachusetts can move from coverage to mastery, elevate durable skills, and rethink how time, learning, and progression are organized in schools. Listen in as panelists candidly reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what it will take to build a more equitable, human-centered, and future-ready education system for the next generation.
PEAKERS
SPEAKERS
Chelsea Banks
Executive Director of Innovation and Learning, Salem Public Schools
Jessica Boston Davis
Assistant Superintendent of Academics, Somerville Public Schools
Annelise Buzaid
Senior Director of Research, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
Natasha Ushomirsky
Senior Program Officer, Barr Foundation
Alexis Lian (moderator)
Director of Policy, Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy