CAMPAIGN PRESS RELEASE: WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MCAS GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
4 August 2024
“educational malpractice” ... “just bad, ineffective policy and practice” ... “created a toxic environment” ... “punitive” ... “generates an unhealthy amount of anxiety”… “students cry, vomit and have panic attacks” … “a rigid protocol” …“an equity issue” … “a tyrannical chokehold on children’s real learning”
On a Test’s Ability to Measure Student Success
“Boiling down the requirement for a high school diploma to one standardized test is educational malpractice. A one-size-fits-all approach to assessment fails to capture the breadth and depth of the ways students can meet the state’s high academic standards.” - Cynthia Roy, a technical high school teacher, and Shelley Scruggs, the parent of a vocational student [Boston Globe, 7/1/24]
“Based on my 26 years of teaching experience, I am confident in saying that no one test should determine whether a student receives a high school diploma….this is just bad, ineffective policy and practice.” - Sarah Woodard, a reading teacher from Easthampton. [Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/27/24]
"It is an equity issue because not all students are good test takers. This really isn't a measurement of all learning styles. The GPA is a stronger indicator of success in career and college readiness. Colleges don't even ask for the MCAS score.” - Deb McCarthy, retired educator of 20 years and Vice President of the MTA [WCVB, 8/27/24]
“Enable the test to be used diagnostically and not punitively, which would align it with a helpful purpose to assist in the growth of students and not stunt their opportunities to demonstrate who they are and how they can contribute to a more productive society.” - Neil Clarke of Lee [The Berkshire Eagle, 8/20/24]
On the MCAS’s Impact on Learning
“The [MCAS’s] importance is outsized and holds a tyrannical chokehold on children’s real learning, wasting countless hours in test preparation prior to the assessment and days of analysis afterwards for teachers.” - Debra Olsen, retired Westfield teacher of 20 years [MassLive, 8/20/24]
“Kids learn in lots of different ways. But in order to get them prepped, we have to teach them a certain way. And there are some kids who just don't get it." - Carolyn Armitage, a Worcester science teacher [Spectrum News, 8/18/24]
“I love my job as an elementary school librarian, and I believe that MCAS should be simply one way of measuring student success, and certainly not the only determinant of receiving a diploma. Vote yes on Question 2 to bring joy and individualized learning back into the classroom.” - Nancy Stenberg, Librarian in Easthampton [Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/27/24]
“Making MCAS a high-stakes exam has narrowed the curriculum and made it more difficult for educators to tailor lessons to the needs of students.” - Chrissy Lynch, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO [Boston Herald, 8/12/24]
“Many of us have had conversations with people who shared heartbreaking stories about how standardized testing crushed their children’s love of learning or seriously damaged their own school experiences and post-high school opportunities.” - Cynthia Roy and Shelley Scruggs [Boston Globe, 7/1/24]
“I’ve seen how teaching to the test disengages my son. His school days are significantly better before MCAS season begins because he has a consistent schedule, and his educators can teach him material that meets the state standards in a way that’s fun and exciting.” - Joy Ahmed, parent of two children in Ashland public schools [MetroWest Daily News, 7/27/24]
On the Impact on Student Mental Health
“The MCAS graduation requirement has created a toxic environment where even the brightest students cannot thrive because they’re afraid of getting a question wrong and are consumed by anxiety.” - Fran Frederick, Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Counselor Association [Boston Herald, 8/8/24]
“Testing is stressful for students. A lot of pressure is put on everyone in the school community. We know that stress can affect a student’s score by as much as 25%. We see students cry, vomit and have panic attacks over taking the MCAS.” - Debra Olsen, retired Westfield teacher of 20 years [MassLive, 8/20/24]
“As health care providers, we understand the need to reduce stress and anxiety in our student population. Turning the tenth-grade MCAS exams into a high-stakes exam has caused a ripple effect through all other grades. The make-or-break nature of a single test undermines educators’ ability to create healthy learning environments.” - Katie Murphy, President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association [MNA Endorsement, 8/19/24]
“I have worked with many bright students who do well on their coursework but perform poorly on tests, especially when those tests generate an unhealthy amount of anxiety that ends up contributing to the poor performance.” - Sarah Woodard, a reading teacher from Easthampton [Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/27/24]
“The threat of not earning a diploma haunts some students’ entire high school career, forcing them into a rigid protocol focused on generating a passing test grade versus finding ways to open creative pathways to learning.” - Cynthia Roy and Shelley Scruggs [Boston Globe, 7/1/24]
“I was an educator for 25 years in the fifth grade classroom and I left the classroom so that I could use my voice exclusively for this issue. This issue represents a lot that we are seeing with social emotional issues with our students.” - Deb McCarthy, retired teacher of 20 years and MTA Vice President. [Boston Globe, 8/27/24]
On the Choice for Voters this November
“To suggest that passing Question 2 will mean lowering standards or that educators will not hold all students to high standards is an insulting and ill-informed accusation.” - Sarah Woodard, a reading teacher from Easthampton [Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/27/24]
“We should not be tricked into believing that replacing the MCAS high school graduation requirement will lead to an educational Armageddon in Massachusetts schools.” - Cynthia Roy and Shelley Scruggs [Boston Globe, 7/1/24]
“If the ballot question passes, students will still be required to take the MCAS in tenth grade, but their graduation would not be contingent on it.” [Boston.com, 8/8/24]
“We are strongly Yes on 2. It’s a first step forward. It’s a piece of the puzzle that can then help us get us to the other pieces of the puzzle, to ensure that we still have strong accountability, but in a way that does not harm our students, particularly our most vulnerable students.” - Jessica Tang, President of AFT Massachusetts [Commonwealth Beacon, 8/27/24]
"We've been working hard for years on this, we just decided that we need to get our message out to the people. We're confident. That confidence comes partly from the 170,000 signatures we were able to gather, which is remarkable. This really hits home for a lot of parents and community members." - Max Page, MTA President [SHNS, 8/27/24]
“Popular teachers on the educational front lines will be a formidable force.” [Berkshire Eagle, 8/17/24]
