Letter: Former Framingham teachers argue MCAS should not determine awarding of a diploma

28 September 2024

We are writing in response to Kinga Borondy's MCAS article ("Ballot question to determine future of MCAS testing in Mass.") published on Sept. 23 in the Daily News.

Comprehensive public education should prepare children for more than performing well on any one particular test. No single test should be used to determine who receives a high school diploma.

Everyone supports improving the quality of education. We must also agree that there will be no casualties as a result of one test. If a student fulfills the requirements as determined by the local school district, the student must receive the high school diploma. Denying that student a diploma is unconscionable.

Public education is more than testing. Not receiving a high school diploma will forever leave a mark on a child. The decision to raise the graduation threshold should not distract us from those other important goals of public education. Instilling the love of learning, taking risks in exploring and articulating new ideas, stimulating creativity, understanding other cultures and ideas, succeeding at some honest intellectual level, and most importantly, maximizing the student’s lifetime options are all important goals for public education.

The future should always be hopeful. Let us never, either personally or through our institutions, close the door, turn out the light, shut off our help to a person needing or wanting to learn, regardless of age, intellectual ability or past record.

Richard E. Paul and John H. Stasik

Framingham

Editor's note: Richard E. Paul taught in Framingham Public Schools for 32 years; John H. Stasik is a former state representative who taught in public schools for 35 years.