Improving Access to Vocational Schools

Breaking Down Barriers to Career and Technical Education

Lawyers for Civil Rights is urging the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to revise proposed amendments to Career and Technical Education (CTE) admissions regulations that continue to disadvantage historically marginalized students.

In public comments submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, LCR commends the move toward a lottery-based admissions system, but warns that the inclusion of weighted factors—such as attendance, discipline, and “expression of interest”—undermines the promise of equitable access.

LCR’s comments highlight the ways these criteria disproportionately harm students of color, English Learners, students with disabilities, and low-income youth—further entrenching racial and economic disparities in education.

To truly level the playing field, LCR is calling for a blind, unweighted lottery system that gives every student a fair chance to access life-changing educational opportunities, regardless of background or circumstance.