Massachusetts nurses endorse Question 2:
Massachusetts nurses endorse Question 2:
MCAS grad requirement undermines healthy learning environments.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association has endorsed Question 2, the ballot initiative to end the use of MCAS exams as a high school graduation requirement. Instead, school districts would be required to certify that students have successfully completed coursework aligned with the state’s academic standards and fulfilled all local requirements.
“As health care providers, we understand the need to reduce stress and anxiety in our student population. Turning the tenth-grade MCAS exams into a high-stakes exam has caused a ripple effect through all other grades. The make-or-break nature of a single test undermines educators’ ability to create healthy learning environments,” said MNA president Katie Murphy.
Murphy also said: “Massachusetts public schools are excellent because the education that students receive is grounded in nationally acclaimed academic standards. The high stakes attached to MCAS exams constrict both students and educators in terms of how they can explore curriculum content.
“Nurses understand the impact of artificial constraints on professional judgment that educators feel when they are forced to narrow curriculum, limit their strategies and teach to the test.
“We urge voters to pass Question 2 so our skilled educators can meet the needs of every student. Educators have made clear to us that a student’s performance on a standardized test may not accurately portray how well a student knows curriculum content. Lifting the MCAS graduation requirement will allow school districts to consider a student’s overall performance in high school in determining whether that student is deserving of a diploma."
MNA Treasurer Nora Watts, who is on staff at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, said that the MCAS graduation requirement is a dangerous disservice to students with special needs.
Watts pointed to her own daughter and granddaughter as being excellent students who also performed poorly on standardized tests because of their specific reading-based learning challenges.
“Both my daughter and granddaughter experienced great anxiety around these ridiculous exams. Both worried a lot about being left behind,” Watts said. “Our daughter is now a CPA. She graduated magna cum laude from her university and achieved her master’s in management and passed her certified public accountant exam, all by age 24. Our granddaughter is also a high achiever who does not score well on MCAS. MCAS is not an accurate or reliable measure of what students know.”
The Massachusetts Teachers Association is part of a coalition of public education activists, community groups, parents and students supporting Question 2.
MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy issued the following statement:
“The members of the MTA and the MNA have worked closely together for many years, and having nurses and educators standing together on this issue will help ensure Question 2 passes. The MNA is deeply committed to preserving and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MNA members understand that for our young people to grow and thrive, educators need the freedom to do their jobs and students deserve a nurturing, supportive learning environment. The high stakes of MCAS prevent our schools from being able to meet the needs of all students.”