Burlington School Committee Adopts CommonLit 360 for Middle School English Classes

MIDDLETON — March 24, 2026 — Burlington School Committee unanimously adopted CommonLit 360 as its new middle school English Language Arts curriculum after a two-year review process. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Chen reported that 97 percent of surveyed educators — including English, special education, ESOL, and reading specialist staff — favored the program over rival EL Education, and parent surveys also pointed to CommonLit 360, which happened to be the less expensive option. The committee voted 5-0 on all 11 items on the agenda, including accepting a $35,000 DESE career-technical education planning grant for a new programming and web development pathway at Burlington High School, and approving out-of-state travel for 20 DECA students to the national career development conference in Atlanta at an all-inclusive cost of $1,200 per student. State Representative Ken Gordon, recognized as MASC Legislator of the Year, appeared in person to announce a $100,000 supplemental state earmark for a failed Memorial School generator and to brief the committee on pending bell-to-bell cell phone restriction legislation he chairs in conference committee.