Page 16 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 18, 2024 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen 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 influence. 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 five questions on the ballot that will be decided directly by the voters in November. 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. WHAT SUPPORTERS SAY: “The 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 affected by the MCAS graduation requirement.” “Opponents of Question 2 LET THE PROS HANDLE IT! ™ Say “NO” to Cleaning Out Your Gutters. Protect Your Home With LeafFilter. 20 10% OFF Your Entire Purchase* FREE INSPECTION! 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We’re looking to install our NEXT GENERATION gutter guard on your home! 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 fulfill 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 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 first 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 offer - 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 reFULL SERVICE GUTTER PROTECTION – SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INSPECTION NOW! 1-888-617-2908 move this key graduation requirement, it will result in more than 300 different 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 strugglingget 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 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.” ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL CHANGE COLUMBUS DAY TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY (S 1976 and H 2989) – Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northamtpon) is urging the Legislature to take further action on her bill that would change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in Massachusetts. The measure would require that the day be “observed by the people, with appropriate exercises in the schools and otherwise, to acknowledge the history of genocide and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and to recognize and celebrate the thriving cultures and continued resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples and their tribal nations.” Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville) sponsored the same proposal in the House. The bill was given a favorable report by the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on June 24 and added to the House calendar agenda on July 29 – where it has remained without further action. The same piece of legislation also died in the House during the 2021-2022 session. “Christopher Columbus did not discover the Americas,” said Comerford. “That myth — steeped in racism and violence — has allowed generations to credit a European man with discovering a land already teeming with societies. Indigenous communities and tribal nations in the commonwealth and across the United States call us to act. It is thanks to their courageous truth telling that we recognize the legacy of colonization, in the name of Columbus, as one not worthy of memorialization or celebration. Massachusetts is one of only 16 remaining states to still observe the second Monday in October officially as Columbus Day. Currently 34 states and territories recognize the day in a different way or not at all, with some observing Native American or Indigenous Peoples Day in addition to or in replacement of Columbus Day. Comerford continued, “In 2021, President Joe Biden formally commemorated Indige
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