Massachusetts is home to the #1 schools in the country. That is thanks to our incredible teachers and educators, and of course our parents and hard-working students.
It’s also because Massachusetts had the wisdom to set high standards for our schools and a way to assess their performance through the MCAS exam.
In fact, as soon as we established the MCAS as a graduation standard, we saw student performance take off across our state.
Now, there is a question on the ballot that threatens to pull the rug out from the progress we have made. Question 2 would take away one of the central pillars of our schools’ success by eliminating the graduation standard completely. I am urging you to vote No on Question 2 to make sure our kids continue to receive the highest quality education in the best schools in the country.
This is about making sure our schools move forward, not back. Here’s why:
Eliminating the MCAS graduation standard means that we will no longer hold all our schools to the same high standards. Instead it will go back to the way it was - with hundreds of different standards set by hundreds of cities and towns.
This will hurt our underperforming schools and poorer school districts the most. We shouldn’t be lowering our standards, we should be lifting those schools and students up. I am voting No on 2 because every kid deserves a great school and great education no matter where they live.
If Question 2 passes, we also will become one of only a handful of states that don’t have academic graduation requirements. The only universal standard remaining for graduation would be completing four years of gym. We will be holding our schools to less rigorous standards than states like Alabama and Mississippi. This is not the company we want our schools to join.
I also know there has been some misinformation out there. Here are the facts.
No child is forced to go through a one-time, high stakes test. Students are given five opportunities to pass, provided with special help, accommodations, and support, and then still have an appeals process after that.
In fact, of the 70,000 graduating students each year, 99% of them meet this standard for graduation. Our goal should be to help get those 1% students over the goal line, not throw out a standard that improves our schools for all of our kids.
I have incredible respect for the work our teachers and educators do every day. My mom was a school nurse and my stepdad was a teacher and a coach and head of his teachers’ union. And I am proud to be the Governor of a state that has always put our children first and strives to help every child reach their potential.
The best way to keep our schools #1 isn’t to eliminate high standards, it’s to give our teachers and schools the support they need so that every child gets the education they deserve.
It’s why I ask that you Vote No on 2 on this year’s ballot so that we can continue to move forward, together.
If you’re able to donate to support No on 2, please consider doing so at the link below.
Thank you,
-Maura Healey