Now, three decades later, Massachusetts is ranked number one in education thanks in part to our strict graduation requirements. While Latinos still face challenges, families from all over the world come here to enroll their students in our world-class system.

Question 2 seeks to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement. While the test could benefit from an update, it would be detrimental to our students and our state’s competitiveness if we eliminated our standardized measure of academic proficiency. Latino students are also likely to be multilingual learners, and the MCAS provides a diagnostic tool to determine whether those students are being served equitably.

The state also does accommodations for students with disabilities and offers the math and science parts in Spanish. As the Globe said in its October 30 editorial“Look at recent history and vote no on question 2,” MCAS should be maintained and improved, not eliminated as a graduation requirement. That’s why we voted no.

Rosalin Acosta

Orleans

Amanda Fernandez

belmont

Acosta is the former Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. Fernández is a former member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; She is also the founder and executive director of Latinos for Education, but the opinions she expresses here are her own.

I am a strong supporter of eliminating MCAS as a graduation requirement. The MCAS is promoted as a standardized test, but there is nothing standardized about the condition of our schools or the lives of our children. Many schools are underfunded and lack the resources they need to meet the learning and emotional needs of their students. These schools cannot offer competitive salaries to maintain teachers and staff. Many students arrive at school unprepared to learn because they are hungry, homeless, or traumatized by poverty, violence, or the impact of racism.

Question 2 seeks to remove a barrier that disproportionately affects students of color, students living in poverty, students with learning disabilities, students who speak a language other than English, and students who attend low-income schools. .

We should not penalize children for the inequality in our society. Vote yes on question 2.

David Selwyn

green field

If Question 2 passes on Election Day, the MCAS will no longer serve as a state requirement for high school graduation, but will still be a vital data point for schools and school systems to use as a valid measure. of student performance to adjust classroom practice.

Massachusetts can still be a national leader in standards-based rigor if adopting MassCore as a graduation requirement for every secondary school in the Commonwealth. This rigorous program of study, designed to prepare graduates for 21st century college and career expectations, would provide a foundation from which each student could advance.

For some students, perhaps those with a learning disability who cannot complete the world language requirement no matter how hard they try (I was one of those students; I have dyslexia), the 10th grade MCAS could serve as an alternative requirement. and those who successfully pass will also earn their high school diploma.

This would provide Massachusetts with a robust toolbox of options, maximizing each student’s potential beyond a high-stakes test. This model would allow teachers to shape the scope and sequence of rigorous learning experiences at the school level, where honorable work is done.

Matthew H. Malone

Roslindale

The author is a former Massachusetts Secretary of Education and former Superintendent of Schools.

A common criticism of MCAS is that it forces educators to “teach to the test.”

Let me rephrase that statement: It causes educators to teach material that is measured by testing.

I have to ask: What’s wrong with that?

Sumner Blount

Arlington