Massachusetts
How affirmative action ruling affects Massachusetts – The Boston Globe
When the Supreme Court took up the issue of racial admissions in 1978, Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. enumerated the powerful benefits of an inclusive and representative student body, declaring, “The nation’s future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to the ideas and mores of students as diverse as this Nation.”
I emphatically agree with his assessment, that beyond the importance of safeguarding higher education opportunities for students of color, a racially diverse student body benefits institutions themselves, allowing them to better prepare their student citizens for the critical leadership and professional roles they will ultimately assume. The whole of society benefits when the highest pursuits of knowledge are enriched by the multitude of backgrounds and worldviews that come with a representative student body.
I started my career in education as a history teacher in the Boston Public Schools just over two decades ago. Among the many moving experiences in that role were the spirited debates with and among my students on American history’s complicated matters. Those discussions were made better because of the unique lived experiences of each of my students and the personal perspectives they shared as they challenged history and its lasting effects.
Just like in my classroom in Boston, a multitude of perspectives will always add value to our institutions of learning. That’s why the Healey-Driscoll administration is throwing our full force into making sure Massachusetts remains welcoming and inclusive of all students. We have formed an Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education, bringing stakeholders together to assess the decision’s impact and to craft strategies within the law that allow schools to maintain representative student bodies — so students, colleges, and our greater society can continue to benefit from the invaluable input from students of color, LGBTQ students, and other students historically underrepresented in higher education.
In 1996, California voters voted to prohibit state universities from considering race in admissions — afterward, the University of California system saw enrollment of students of color fall sharply. The California system has yet to reach levels of representation seen prior to that decision. We cannot let that happen here.
advance access to college and career readiness tools for Massachusetts students, the state has expanded student and family access to the free online Massachusetts Education Financing Authority’s Pathway college planning tool and increased the number of public schools that use My Career and Academic Plan, a best-practice, postsecondary planning model administered by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Access to these tools will allow even more students historically unrepresented in higher education to get the support and guidance they need to see themselves achieving the higher learning and career opportunities available to them.
Knowing Grandma Woods as I did, the court’s ruling would be a source of profound concern. But if there’s something to celebrate for her sake, it’s that the state, institutions of higher education, civil rights experts, and advocates are united in our commitment to provide access to educational opportunities for all the Commonwealth’s students. Even this disappointing decision, with all its faults, begrudges that colleges and universities can continue to consider how race has “affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise” and how that student’s individual experience can and will uniquely “contribute to the university.”
With this as a starting point, Massachusetts, the home of the first public school and first university, will lead the way in making sure our schools continue to reflect our communities and our values.
Patrick Tutwiler is the secretary of education of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts
High School On SI 2024 All-State Massachusetts’ Football Award Winners
There were first-time state champions, repeat winners – and some of the craziest games you will ever seen played anywhere on a football field this fall.
And now it is time for High School On SI Massachusetts to release its individual award winners, including the player and coach of the year honorees.
The Boston College commitment played for Division 2’s top team, which Catholic Memorial defeated King Philip Regional 39-21 for the Super Bowl. Dodd was the workhorse for the team, rushing for 1,362 yards on 115 attempts and scoring 20 touchdowns. The senior also added seven catches for 139 yards through the air.
Whether it was through the air or on the ground, Attaway compiled over 1,000 yards either way. The senior led the way to the Hawks winning the Division 6 Super Bowl state title. Attaway finished completing 76-of-113 passes for 1,329 yards and 20 touchdowns. On the ground, Attaway rushed for 1,008 yards on 65 carries and 12 scores.
Frisch stood out on both sides of the ball, but especially on the defensive side at middle linebacker. The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker racked up 59 tackles, eight going for a loss, 12 sacks, an interception and forced a fumble. On offense at tight end, Frisch caught 14 passes for 301 yards and five touchdowns.
Playing for the Division 7 Super Bowl state champions, the junior running back was phenomenal out of the backfield. The Spartans’ tailback carried the rock 201 times for 1,772 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. LaChapelle caught five passes for 100 yards and two scores.
Despite losing multiple games during the regular season and many throughout the state wondering if Xaverian Brothers could repeat as Division I state champions. The Hawks pulled it off under the guidance of Fornaro as he guided the team to the Division I Super Bowl, defeating Needham, 14-7.
Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!
Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.
High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.
To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App
— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi
Massachusetts
Lucas: Ayotte’s shots at Healey over immigration hit mark
Hardly had Kelly Ayotte, the new governor of New Hampshire unloaded on Massachusetts over its immigration policy, than another illegal immigrant was charged with rape in the Bay State.
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Massachusetts
Disciplinary hearing for suspended Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor continued to 2nd day
Suspended Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor’s Trial Board disciplinary proceedings will go on to a second day.
Proctor’s trouble publicly began when he testified during the murder trial of Karen Read last summer. During a tense examination by the prosecution and even more intense cross examination, Proctor admitted to inappropriate private texts that he made as the case officer investigating Read.
“She’s a whack job (expletive),” Proctor read from compilations of text messages he sent to friends as he looked at Read’s phone. The last word was a derogatory term for women that he at first tried to spell out before Judge Beverly Cannone told him to read it the way he wrote it.
“Yes she’s a babe. Weird Fall River accent, though. No (butt),” he continued under oath on June 10, 2024.
He also texted them “no nudes so far” as an update on the search through her phone. He also testified that he told his sister that he hoped that Read would kill herself.
On Wednesday, Proctor sat through a full day of trial board proceedings at MSP general headquarters in Framingham. When that concluded in the late afternoon, the board decided to continue for a second day on Feb. 10. Neither Wednesday’s proceeding nor the second day is open to the public.
Proctor was relieved of duty on July 1 of last year, which was the day the Read trial concluded in mistrial. He was suspended without pay a week later. The State Police finished its internal affairs investigation last week and convened the trial board to determine the next step in the disciplinary process.
The trial board makes disciplinary recommendations to the superintendent, who determines the final outcome.
“A State Police Trial Board shall hear cases regarding violations of Rules, Regulations, Policies, Procedures, Orders, or Directives,” states the Department’s Rules and Regulations.
“In the event that the Trial Board finds guilt by a preponderance of the evidence on one or more of the charges, the Trial Board shall consider the evidence presented by the Department prosecutor pertaining to the accused member’s prior offenses/disciplinary history, and shall make recommendations for administrative action,” the rules and regulations state.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, faces charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision causing the death of O’Keefe, a 16-year Boston Police officer when he died at age 46 on Jan. 29, 2022. Read’s second trial is scheduled to begin April 16.
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