Tell BESE to Ditch the Test
Call on state education officials to discard this year's disturbing 10th-grade MCAS test.
Educators' unions and civil rights groups demand that DESE withdraw racially offensive MCAS
Educators' unions and civil rights groups demand that DESE withdraw racially offensive MCAS
MTA, NAACP-NEAC and others call on DESE to pull this year's 10th-grade English Language Arts exam
In response to accounts about racially troubling questions embedded in this year’s 10th-grade English Language Arts MCAS exam, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Boston Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance and the New England Area Conference of the NAACP are demanding that the test immediately be pulled and that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education not score any exam that included a question concerning material from Colson Whitehead’s novel “The Underground Railroad.”
The organizations further insist that the DESE end the gag order imposed on students and educators barring them from discussing the content on the MCAS exams. Educators and students are forced to sign confidentiality agreements saying that they will not reveal the questions — or even discuss the contents. Students could have their test scores tossed out; educators could lose their licenses to teach. Passing the 10th-grade MCAS test is a graduation requirement.
Educators and students have reported that the MCAS is using the passage from “The Underground Railroad” to have students write a journal entry from the perspective of the character Ethel, who is openly racist and betrays slaves trying to escape.
“For all of the unconscionable aspects of standardized testing, DESE has imposed a new layer of trauma — particularly on students of color — forcing students to read a tiny excerpt of the book, produce a quick answer about race relations embodying a racist perspective, and then stifle the complicated emotions that emerge. To deny students their right to wrestle with the issues with their teachers reveals that the MCAS is not about education at all and only undermines a school curriculum,” said MTA president Merrie Najimy.
She continued: “It has taken a great amount of courage for students and educators to step forward and describe how upset they were by a question dealing with the racist behavior of a character in the novel.”
"This issue brings into question the matter of who is reviewing and approving the test before it is administered. The lack of cultural sensitivity and adequate supervision is a serious matter for all communities and certainly for communities of color,” said Juan Cofield, president of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP.
Educators and students in a number of districts have raised concerns about the question, and the DESE has instructed districts to not use the question in any tests moving forward.
"The lack of cultural sensitivity and adequate supervision is a serious matter for all communities and certainly for communities of color."
NAACP-NEAC President Juan Cofield
MTA Vice President Max Page said this was not enough and repeated the call for a moratorium on high-stakes testing.
“Students should definitely read the brutal and brilliant book ‘The Underground Railroad’ and work with experienced educators on exploring the important and complex issues it raises,” Page said. “But in order to do so, our students need fully funded schools with small class sizes and teachers who have the academic freedom to guide this complex and emotional discourse so that students are building empathy and understanding of our troubled history. Our schools also must include libraries stocked with literature and full-time librarians who can guide children in exploring the diverse and multiple perspectives on any subject.”
In a statement, Whitehead expressed shock that his work would be used in a manner that traumatized students.
“Whoever came up with the question has done a great disservice to these kids, and everyone who signed off on it should be ashamed.”
Author Colson Whitehead
“Whoever came up with the question has done a great disservice to these kids, and everyone who signed off on it should be ashamed,” Whitehead said.