By Ed Hayward | Chronicle Staff

Published: Nov. 13, 2014

The Lynch School of Education will host K-12 education leaders from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont on Dec. 1 for a discussion about education reform across New England.

Study: Lynch Grads Among Highest Paid in Education

The University’s Lynch School of Education is fifth on the list of the top 10 US colleges with the highest-paid graduates in the field of education.

Based on salary data provided by PayScale, the ranking – compiled by College Factual – includes many specific majors in the education field, such as special education, student counseling and curriculum development, among others.

San Francisco State University finished first, followed by Southern Methodist University, New York University, Washington University in St. Louis and BC, whose graduates earn a high average starting salary of $42,000 and $70,000 at mid-career, according to statistics. The average salary of those who majored in education is $41,000.

Rounding out the list is Hartwick College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, Brown University and Wake Forest University.

 “States of Success: Achievements and Aspirations” will take place at 4 p.m. in the Heights Room in Corcoran Commons, hosted by Lynch School faculty moderators Andrew Hargreaves and Henry Braun. Massachusetts Secretary of Education Matt Malone, M. Ed. ’95, PhD ’02, New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Virginia Barry and Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe are the featured speakers.

The New England states outperform most others on indicators of education achievement, mental health, and wellbeing. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont routinely rank at or near the top of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as “The Nation’s Report Card.”

The forum will highlight commonalities, examine what can be learned from each state, and identify important challenges that remain, said Hargreaves, the Thomas More Brennan Professor of Education. Speakers will explore how to support educational performance in these states and across the nation to attain higher levels of success for all.

As states across the US implement the Common Core national educational standards, these three states face the challenges of adjusting frameworks and curricula to conform to the new regulations, Hargreaves said.

“Basically all states support Common Core, but not necessarily their unions. They differ on the high-stakes testing package they want and are rolling them out at different rates, so we won’t see the effects for a year or two or three.”
Braun, the Boisi Professor of Education and an expert in educational measurement, said the three states have adopted different policies around testing and assessment.

“I can say that all three states have pursued an assessment agenda that is consistent with their overall education strategies and their traditions with respect to the balance between state and local responsibilities,” said Braun.

Malone was appointed secretary of education by Gov. Deval Patrick in January, 2013. As director of the Executive Office of Education, he works closely with the departments of Early Education and Care, Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education, as well the University of Massachusetts system. Malone also was superintendent of schools in Brockton and Swampscott, Mass., and worked as an administrator for the San Diego and Boston school systems.

Barry has served as education commissioner in the Granite State since 2009, supervising the administration of the state’s elementary and secondary schools. She has more than 30 years of experience in both K-12 education and higher education.
Holcombe became the leader of Vermont’s K-12 system in January. She has worked as a teacher and principal in Vermont, where she helped form the Rivendell Interstate School District, which educates students from four towns in Vermont and New Hampshire. Prior to her appointment, Holcombe was the director of the Teacher Education Program at Dartmouth College.