Gov. Maura Healey’s committee on graduation requirements just recommended that the state should require high stakes, end of course tests created by DESE and scored by DESE as graduation requirements. What this decision makes clear is that the listening sessions held by the graduation committee, DESE’s creating a portrait of a graduate, and the establishment of the graduation committee itself were all a sham.
They ignored everything they heard at their listening sessions. They ignored their own “portrait of a graduate” profile, and they ignored the decisive rejection of high stakes testing from the public when it said no to the MCAS as a graduation requirement. The governor’s committee was all for show, to pretend that they were really listening to the public, but it’s clear they knew what they wanted before they formed the committee. What a waste of time and energy, and what a betrayal of the public trust.
This is a cynical and entirely predictable political and economic decision made by the governor, bowing to the wishes of corporate Democrats, who really run the show. The governor knows where her corporate financing bread is buttered. It’s outrageous and tragic for yet another generation of children and educators, who are mandated to carry out an educational program they know is harmful for children and limits the education they need.
I’d suggest that we all contact our local legislators, to let them know how concerned we are about this outrageous set of recommendations, and expressing our hopes that they work with their colleagues to stand against this undermining of the education our children need and deserve.
Doug Selwyn
Greenfield