The Department of Education announced Tuesday that only 80 percent of Massachusetts high school students graduate after four years, with major disparities when factoring in race and income-level. 

"Governor Patrick's administration has brought attention to a crisis in education," said Cambridge School Committee member Luc Schuster, "but after more than a decade of budget cuts, the state must restore at least a half billion dollars just to get the education budget back to 2001 levels.”

Schuster is a GED teacher in Boston and State Cochair of the Green-Rainbow Party.

"The Governor can and must restore funding to our Constitutionally-mandated public education system as part of his oath of office,” he said.

“Growing numbers of ninth and tenth grade drop-outs are entering my GED program in Roxbury, just before they would have taken the tenth grade MCAS. Undue focus on this standardized test, which is supported by Governor Patrick, keeps students from meaningful learning.

“Any discussion of graduation rates must begin with a critical look at the curriculum. In doing this, special focus must be put on the glaring racial and class disparities in education."

Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner called the racial disparities in graduation rates "predictable and ongoing."

"The grim graduation rates are based on a system that demands that teachers teach to the MCAS test instead of working with students to address their educational needs," Turner said.

"We are already working with legislators to repeal the MCAS as a promotion and graduation requirement ,and we are hoping to open the greater question of education reform to help our children get the best education we can provide them. Patrick must join us in this effort."

The Department of Education report said that only 64 percent of black students completed high school in four years and that figure was 57 percent among Latino students.

"Gov. Patrick could easily restore needed education funding if he made simple changes that would more evenly distribute the tax burden," said Whately School Committee member and Smith College professor, Nat Fortune.

"He could restore the $500 million to public education this year and then even add another billion dollars to bring us back to the funding levels of the 1990s." 

Fortune, who was also a 2004 GRP candidate for State Representative in the 1st Franklin District, said that lowering the tax rate would be "fiscally irresponsible" and  "out of the question."  

Fortune proposed to couple urgently-needed property tax relief with the closing of corporate tax loopholes and an increase in the income tax rate. "Green-Rainbows back common sense tax proposals that simultaneously lower the tax burden on those who are paying too much and increase overall revenues to pay for needed services.  That's the real definition of fiscal responsibility.

“We're already working with legislators on it. Healing our education system will depend on whether or not Governor Patrick moves Massachusetts towards fair taxation."

GRP 2006 gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross said, "Our already-dismantled education system, the pervasive effect of the MCAS, and cutbacks in youth workers and summer jobs are also intrinsically tied to youth violence. Already two 13 year olds have been killed in Boston this year.

“With the disparities acknowledged in this report, we and the legislators with whom we are working will call on Patrick to join us in returning to an education based on each child, to returning funds to youth workers and summer jobs and the myrad financial needs of our communities. 

“He needs to not tell us that our hopes cannot be met because he does not want to join us in asking the wealthy and large corporations in Massachusetts to pay their fair share like the rest of us.  We are still working towards a Beloved Commonwealth where there are no proverbial bodies left to float in the water."