New Vocational School Admissions Lottery Marks Historic Step Toward Fair Access
The Vocational Education Justice Coalition (VEJC) applauds the Massachusetts Board of Education’s decision to adopt a new lottery-based admissions policy for the Commonwealth’s regional vocational schools, a hard-won victory for education equity advocates who have spent years fighting to end discriminatory admissions practices.
The VEJC — a network of 23 grassroots organizations, civil rights groups, and labor unions — has led the charge for more than seven years through tireless organizing and advocacy. The new admissions policy represents a meaningful step toward dismantling long-standing barriers that have disproportionately excluded students of color, English learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students from important vocational career pathways.
“This is a major victory for education justice in Massachusetts,” said Lewis Finfer at the Vocational Education Justice Coalition. “For too long, vocational schools used subjective and exclusionary criteria that functioned as a gatekeeping tool against the very students who could benefit the most. This new policy opens the door wider, and we’re proud of the role our coalition played in making that happen.”
“This reform is a critical step forward in reducing racial and socioeconomic disparities in vocational school admissions,” said Mirian Albert, Senior Attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “We commend the Board for acting on the data, which clearly showed systemic discrimination. We’ll continue to monitor implementation closely to ensure the policy delivers on its promise.”
The Board’s action follows mounting public pressure and damning data — including analysis by VEJC using state education department (DESE) records — showing that under the old policy, vocational schools consistently admitted significantly lower rates of students of color, English learners, low-income students, and students with disabilities.
“Our youth have known for years that the system was unfair and we demanded a change,” said Gladys Vega, President & CEO of La Colaborativa. “We are proud that finally, after years of organizing by students and families who have been denied access to vocational schools, we are seeing changes that will open more pathways to prosperity for students of color. We are hopeful that this will mean our young people will finally have a real shot at accessing life-changing vocational education opportunities.”
Despite this progress, the VEJC work continues. Implementation of the new policy is already being challenged in the state budget process. The VEJC is committed to ensuring complete implementation of this policy and will continue pushing for a fully blind admissions lottery, transparent data reporting, and strong enforcement.
“We are urging the Legislature to respect the Education Board’s decision and stand with students and families on this,” said Lewis Finfer at the Vocational Education Justice Coalition. “This policy begins to repair the damage done by years of exclusion. Now is not the time to reverse course.”
The VEJC calls on lawmakers, educators, and community leaders across the Commonwealth to defend this progress and join us in the fight for true equity in vocational education.
