The pair were at the central Massachusetts school to celebrate the kickoff of the Governor's "Literacy Launch" initiative, a five-year campaign to develop children's language, reading, and writing skills as early as age 3 through third grade. Healey earlier this year secured $20 million through the state budget to underwrite the initiative, which, by the show of officials on hand Thursday, stands as one of her administration's largest education priorities.
"We're going to be the first in literacy for generations of students to come," Healey said during a press conference in the school's library. "And that is a great thing."
Through Literacy Launch, Healey's administration plans to prioritize high-quality curriculum and teacher training, doling out money to districts that want to voluntarily participate. The state expects to award grants to 45 districts during the initiative's first year.
The administration's literacy efforts will also be bolstered by a new five-year, $38.4 million federal grant, which was announced by Healey's office earlier this week. The federal funding will be used by the state education department to support literacy work in local districts, officials said.
The state's focus on early readers follows increased attention to the "Science of Reading," a collection of research on how the brain learns to read. That research shows most kids need explicit instruction in phonics and vocabulary to become proficient readers. Too often, however, Massachusetts students have been deprived of that instruction: Nearly half of all Massachusetts districts during the 2022-23 school year used a reading curriculum the state said it did not support, a 2023 Globe investigation found.
Because Massachusetts leaves curriculum decisions up to local districts, the state department of education has relied on guidance and incentives -- not mandates -- to encourage the use of high-quality materials.
A bill that would have required districts to use state-approved reading curriculum did not earn passage last legislative session. It was opposed by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Still, Tutwiler said the administration is bullish in its beliefs.
"It's our duty to really bring this forth and offer the opportunities around professional development, the purchasing of high quality instructional materials, and supporting aspiring teachers in schools of education with learning the most effective way to reach all readers," Tutwiler said. "That's not something we're going to apologize for."