I’m a teacher; this is why I split with my union on MCAS ballot question
Newspapers you know and trust have endorsed
a "No" vote on Question 2:
Newspapers you know and trust have endorsed a "No" vote on Question 2:
Protect Our Kids
Question 2 will irreperably harm students, who are already struggling to catch up after years of closed schools and remote learning during the COVID pandemic. Instead of doing the hard work to ensure these students have the skills and knowledge they need in math, English, and science, this ballot initiative proposes to abandon students. The consequences will be devastating.
The Facts
Since high education standards and assessments were implemented two decades ago, Massachusetts has risen from middle of the pack to the best public education system of any state, and among the best in the entire world. If Question 2 passes, Massachusetts will have lower graduation standards than states like Alabama and Mississippi.
No matter their background, kids are able to demonstrate their readiness to graduate by passing an objective, uniform statewide assessment. This ensures that every student has the skills they need to succeed in math, English, and science. Kids who fail to pass the assessment on their first try are placed on a pathway to success to get them up to speed, so that every student in Massachusetts has access to a high quality education.
If Question 2 passes, some school districts will just adopt lower standards so students “graduate” even if they haven’t learned the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This will harm our kids for the rest of their lives.
Question 2 is cleverly worded to hide its true effect - prohibiting any statewide or districtwide assessment to ensure students are ready to graduate. The question would eliminate any consistent education standards in Massachusetts, as each of the 300+ school districts in the state would set its own requirements for graduation. The proponents of this question are not pushing it because they care about students: instead, they would abandon those students who most need our help.