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Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 18, 2024 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://massterlist. com/subscribe/ 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 fi ve questions on the ballot that will be decided directly by the voters in November. The question asks voters if they - LEGAL NOTICE - ENROLLED ORDINANCE PUBLISHED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 1 SECTION 4.5 OF THE REVISED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF EVERETT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS Chapter 43, Section 23. ENROLLED: 10/15/2024 DATE OF PROPOSED ORDAINMENT: 10/28/2024 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 certifi ed 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. WHAT SUPPORTERS SAY: “The CITY COUNCIL……………………………………………………. No. C0260-24 IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY-FOUR AN ORDINANCE ADDING TWO NEW SECTIONS TO THE CITY’S ZONING ORDINANCE – SECTION 36 (MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT) AND SECTION 37 (EVERETT DOCKLANDS INNOVATION DISTRICT (EDID”)) Councilor /s/ Robert J. Van Campen, as President Whereas: this ordinance is to amend the Everett Zoning Ordinance to add two new sections, Section 36 “Master Planned Development” and Section 37 “Everett Docklands Innovation District” and to amend the Zoning Map to incorporate certain parcels of land into the new EDID Zoning District; and Whereas: Section 12 of the City of Everett Zoning Ordinance enables the City Council to “…amend, supplement, or change these [Zoning] regulations or districts as provided by statute”; and Whereas: by amending the Zoning Map to rezone certain parcels of land, the City will create new development opportunities for an otherwise underutilized area of land. Now, therefore, by the authority granted to the City Council of the City of Everett, Massachusetts to make and amend ordinances. Be it Ordained by the City Council of the City of Everett, Massachusetts as follows: Appendix A – Zoning of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Everett is hereby amended by adding a new Section 36 and further amended by adding a new Section 37. Also, the City of Everett Zoning Map is amended by incorporating the lands shown on the attached map as the Everett Docklands Innovation District (EDID). A full copy of the proposed Ordinance shall be located at the City Clerk’s Office for public inspection. A full copy of the proposed ordinance and supporting documentation may also be found on pages 40 thru 68 of the agenda packet for the October 15, 2024 regular meeting of the City Council which can be found at the following link: https://cityofeverett.com/ wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10-15-2024-City-Council.pdf. This ordinance shall take effect upon passage by the City Council and subsequent approval by His Honor the Mayor. A true copy attest Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the other supporters of Question 2 were certainly pleased to see polling indicative of strong public support for replacing the MCAS graduation requirement with a more authentic assessment of students’ academic work and achievement,” MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy told Beacon Hill Roll Call last week. “Between now and election day, we will just keep doing what we have been doing all year: talking to voters. Thousands of classroom educators have knocked on doors and made phone calls, explaining what Question 2 does and listening to stories from people adversely aff ected by the MCAS graduation requirement.” “Opponents of Question 2 are attempting to mislead the public into thinking the ballot measure eliminates the MCAS altogether or dismantles our state’s high academic standards,” said Page and McCarthy. “Both claims are false. MCAS exams fulfi ll a federal requirement, and the ballot question does not seek to end their use. MCAS exams will continue to be given just as they are now, and the tests will yield the same data.” The pair continued, “The state’s uniform academic standards exist Sergio Cornelio, City Clerk October 18, 2024 independently of the assessment tool. In fact, educators will be able to more fully immerse students in standards-based content once [they are] free to better diversify teaching strategies that accommodate all learning styles. Public education needs to focus on preparing students for the workforce, higher education and career training. Our partners in the business world and from colleges and universities tell us we accomplish those goals by developing students’ abilities to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and team players. The standardized MCAS exams do not focus on those skills and should not be a tool used to hold back students.” WHAT OPPONENTS SAY: “Having a single, statewide standard for graduation has raised expectations in ways that have resulted in greater equity and achievement for all students,” Dom Slowey, spokesman for the Vote No on 2 campaign told Beacon Hill Roll Call last week. “Massachusetts has risen in the national rankings to fi rst in the nation in student achievement. Graduation rates have risen and dropout rates have fallen. Question 2 would remove our only statewide graduation standard. Nothing will replace it. The only statewide requirement left will be that students participate in four years of gym, and that districts off er – but students are not required to pass – history and civics. Massachusetts would have less rigorous high school graduation requirements than Mississippi and Alabama.” Slowey continued, “If we remove this key graduation requirement, it will result in more than 300 diff erent and unequal standards for high school graduation across the commonwealth leading to haphazard assessments of student readiness for college and careers and even wider inequities in student achievement and opportunities. 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 kids to grant diplomas when they aren’t yet ready to graduate.” “If students cannot pass basic assessments in math, English or science, the answer is not to eliminate the standard. Rather than lowering the academic standard for all students, the focus should be on ensuring students who are struggling get the help they need. The vast majority of students pass the 10th grade assessment and are awarded diplomas. Annually, the number of students who don’t graduate is about 700 out of more than 70,000 graduates. Put differently, only 1 percent of high school graduates do not graduate on time because they have not passed the MCAS. High school students have several chances to pass the test between 10th and 12th grade. The state also provides numerous accommodations for students with disabilities, English learners and other students who need them, so they are not disadvantaged.” OFFICIAL ARGUMENTS: Here are the offi cial 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-fi ts-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. BEACON | SEE PAGE 17

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