Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 49 – Report No. 41
October 7-11, 2024
Copyright © 2024 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call looks at Question 2, one of the five questions on the ballot that will be decided directly by the voters in November.
During the week of October 7-11, the House met for a total of 29 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 32 minutes.
The question asks voters if they approve of a proposed law that would eliminate the current requirement that in order to get a high school diploma, a student must pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests in mathematics, science, technology and English. This requirement would be replaced by a requirement that the student complete coursework certified by the student’s district as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards in mathematics, science and technology and English, as well as any additional areas determined by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
OFFICIAL ARGUMENTS: Here are the official arguments, gathered by the secretary of state, for each side of the question.
IN FAVOR: Written by Shelley Scuggs, Parents Volunteer of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, https://massteacher.org/
“A ‘Yes’ on Question 2 gives all students the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. We all agree that high standards help keep our public schools great, and assessments are needed to ensure that students master the knowledge and skills to succeed in life after high school. However, the MCAS is a one-size-fits-all exam that fails to measure other student achievement measures such as GPA, coursework and teacher assessments in determining if a student is allowed to graduate.
Replacing the MCAS graduation requirement with more comprehensive measures will allow teachers to stop teaching to a test and unburden students from a make-or-break standardized test. Voting ‘Yes’ will allow schools and teachers, together with parents and students, to focus on the most important skills and knowledge to help students succeed in life, rather than having to focus on only those skills that can be measured on a standardized test.”
AGAINST: Written by Protect Our Kids’ Future: Vote ‘No’ on 2, www.protectourkidsfuture.com
“Question 2 is unfair to kids and will increase inequality. 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. It’s not fair to grant diplomas to kids who aren’t yet ready to graduate. If students cannot pass basic assessments in math, English or science, we adults should do the hard work to get them up to speed. Instead of supporting kids, Question 2 would abandon them.
Question 2 would remove our only statewide graduation standard. Massachusetts would have less rigorous high school graduation requirements than Mississippi and Alabama. Question 2 is a radical and untested proposal and should be rejected. Significant changes to our education system should be carefully studied, designed and implemented by experts to ensure these policies are actually better for our kids.”
For more information and details on each bill, roll call attendance, and other relevant information, please visit the Wakefield Daily Item at www.localheadlinenews.com.
