THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 11, 2024 Page 3 Council resolution supports ballot question to repeal MCAS graduation requirement By Barbara Taormina C ity councillors unanimously agreed with a motion from city councillors-At-Large Marc Silvestri and Juan Pablo Jaramillo and Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya for a resolution from the City Council supporting ballot question 2 which calls for the end of the state’s use of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as a graduation requirement. Jaramillo said the MCAS test was unfair to students who are poor test takers, and unfair to students who successfully complete coursework but are denied a diploma because they did not pass the test. It’s also unfair to teachers who are judged poorly because they have students who fail MCAS. Guarino-Sawaya stressed that the Massachusetts Teachers Association supports ending the MCAS requirement and relying instead on a student’s mastery of the skills, competencies and knowledge of the state standards. She also said that MCAS was a disadMBTA | FROM Page 2 it mbta.com/ferry or connect with the T on X @MBTA, Facebook/TheMBTA, Instagram @ theMBTA, Threads @thembta or TikTok @thembta. About the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: The MBTA opened America’s first subway tunnel in 1897, pioneering public transportation in the United States. Today, the MBTA is one of the largest public transit systems vantage for special needs students and English language learners. For Silvestri, the problem with MCAS is that there are many diff erent types of learners and no single test can assess everyone, it won’t show how some student’s shine. School Street resident Ed Terrell responded to the motion with information he said everyone should know. Terrell said 82 percent of students graduate from Revere High but only 50 percent are profi cient in reading; in math, 38 are profi cient and 48 percent in science. “There are fundamental problems in our high school that need to be addressed,” he said adding problems go beyond MCAS. Terrell said that, as it stands, with a 50 percent rate of students able to read, Revere is creating a community of generational poverty. But Revere Teachers Association (RTA) Secretary Katie Fontes and Co-President Michelle Ervin said it is the MCAS graduation requirement that’s handicapping students by keeping them from jobs, voin the country, operating an extensive network of subway, bus, commuter rail, ferry and paratransit services across 176 cities and towns. The MBTA is undergoing a transformative period, focusing on cultivating a culture of safety and excellence, modernizing infrastructure and improving reliability and accessibility. For questions or assistance, customers are encouraged to contact the MBTA Customer Center at 617-222-3200. cational training and colleges. Fontes and Ervin described how MCAS disrupts learning by forcing teachers to focus exclusively on the test. Ervin, a veteran teacher with 20 years of classroom experience, said she’s devoted classroom time to teaching students how to take multiple choice tests. Fontes added that MCAS only tests students on information and skills that can be put into multiple choice or short written answer questions. Ervin described her own challenges passing a standardized math test needed for her graduation. “Only nine states still have the graduation requirement,” she said. “I urge you to support having Massachusetts join the other 40 states.” Council President Anthony Cogliandro said he agreed with Silvestri that students learn and excel in different ways. He said in his role as a teacher, he couldn’t see using one test for all students. Cogliandro said he was excited to see what teachers could accomplish if they are freed from the handcuff s of MCAS. Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net Eastern Bank Building on Rte. 1S 605 Broadway, #301 * Saugus (781) 233-6844 www.bostonnorthdental.com Dr. Priti Amlani Dr. Bhavisha Patel For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 781-286-8500 or Info@advocatenews.net * Restorative Dentistry * Cosmetic Dentistry * Implant Restoration * Zoom Whitening * Teeth in a Day - All on 6 * Invisalign * CEREC Crowns (Single Visit Crowns) * Root Canal Treatment * Sedation Dentistry ~ Full Mouth Rehabilitation ~ Before After Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl 66 Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Roofing •Free Estimates •Replacement Windows •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured
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