By Migdalia Diaz, Chief Operating Officer & Interim Executive Director, Massachusetts

In classrooms across Massachusetts, students are already experimenting with artificial intelligence to research, write, and problem-solve in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet these experiences are happening unevenly and often without clear guidance, and our education system has yet to catch up. 

Massachusetts has begun to respond, and the state’s recent partnership with Google to provide free AI training to residents reflects a growing recognition that digital and AI fluency are becoming essential for economic opportunity and civic participation. Efforts like this matter because they acknowledge the challenge. 

And yet, a single initiative does not amount to a comprehensive approach to preparing students and communities for what lies ahead. In many ways, it simply brings a more urgent question into focus. 

Who is actually positioned to benefit from this progress? 

Too often, the assumption is that access to programs like these will solve the issue. In Massachusetts, that is not always the case. For many Latino families, the more pressing challenges are language access; the safety and wellbeing oftheir family; and the realities of navigating rising costs of living. Families who are focused on meeting basic needs may not have the bandwidth to seek out or prioritize these opportunities, even when they could benefit from them. Additionally, information is not always delivered in ways that are linguistically or culturally accessible. Without intentional, community-based strategies to reach these families and reduce access barriers, the State will struggle to effectively connect with those who stand to benefit most.  

If we are serious about ensuring a high-quality education and preparation for all students, we cannot assume that access alone will lead to participation. We have to be far more deliberate about how opportunities are communicated, delivered, and supported so that they are truly within reach. 

That means working through trusted community-based organizations, ensuring that information is accessible to our most affected residents. We need to ensure that students and families are equipped to participate fully in a world that is changing faster than our systems. 

And right now, we are still early in that work. 

Unfortunately, this gap between opportunity and access begins early within our education system. Too many of our students are still navigating a system designed for a different era. A system built for predictability rather than acceleration, one that continues to prioritize memorization over critical thinking and compliance over creativity. At the same time, the world students are entering demands the opposite. 

They are expected to navigate complex information ecosystems, work alongside rapidly evolving technologies, and make decisions that require both technical fluency and strong human judgment. These are not distant challenges. They are already shaping how students learn, interact, and prepare for what comes next. 

And yet, our definition of what it means to be prepared for life after high school has not fully caught up. Massachusetts has an opportunity to change that, but doing so will require more than incremental adjustments. It will require a clear shift in how we define readiness and what we expect students to learn before they graduate. 

Modernizing MassCore is a critical part of that work. MassCore is the state’s recommended set of high school courses designed to prepare students for college and careers, and it is currently being revisited as Massachusetts redefines graduation expectations following the removal of the MCAS requirement. Not by adding more requirements, but by ensuring that what students are already learning reflects the realities they will face. This means embedding critical thinking, communication, and collaboration across subjects in ways that are intentional and consistent, rather than treated as secondary outcomes. 

It also means recognizing that digital literacy, including AI literacy, is no longer optional. It is foundational. 

Every student in Massachusetts should graduate with the ability to use digital tools responsibly, evaluate information critically, and understand how technologies like artificial intelligence are shaping the world around them. This can be integrated into existing coursework in ways that strengthen learning overall, rather than competing with it. 

Families are already asking for this. A recent poll conducted by EdTrust in Massachusetts and the MassINC Polling Group found that two-thirds of parents believe digital literacy should be a requirement for high school graduation. There is a clear understanding that the world is changing, and an expectation that our schools should reflect that change. 

Across the country, education systems are grappling with how to respond to rapid technological shifts and evolving workforce demands, and Massachusetts is no exception. While the state has taken an important step, it is not yet where it needs to be. 

Leadership in this moment will be defined by whether we are willing to align our systems, our policies, and our expectations with the future our students are already living in. If we want Massachusetts students to be truly prepared for what comes next, that alignment has to start now.  

The future is already here, and our schools must be ready to meet it. To move this work forward, policymakers should prioritize integrating AI and digital literacy into graduation expectations, educators should begin embedding these skills into existing coursework, and community-based organizations should be supported in expanding outreach so that all families can access and benefit from these opportunities. 

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Migdalia Diaz serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Massachusetts Interim Executive Director at Latinos for Education. Previously, Migdalia spent more than 2 years as COO of the Association of Latino Professionals for America, Inc. and 5 years in State Government as Chief of Staff and then COO for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. She spent the first 17 years of her career as a consultant in the private sector. Born in Puerto Rico, Migdalia began her career after graduating from the University of Connecticut while serving in the Connecticut Army National Guard, where she served for 8 years, an experience that has helped shape her leadership and team management skills throughout her career.