The time is now to support opting out of MCAS
Governor Charlie Baker and Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley
As a result of the pandemic and its impact on our schools and students, most people agree that the MCAS should be cancelled. Legislators, superintendents, school committees, educators, parents and education researchers have all called for the tests to be canceled, yet the state intends to proceed with testing this year.
Standardized tests have never been an equitable measure of student learning, but in a time of pandemic they cannot possibly measure student learning with any validity. Testing will only mean that all students will lose precious learning time, while, disproportionally, Black, Latinx, low-income, English learners and special education students will fall even further behind. It's time for parents to exercise their right to opt out of MCAS testing.
Citizens for Public Schools has launched this petition to show the governor, the commissioner, and everyone else that many parents are opting out of MCAS this year, and many others support them in this decision. Please fill in the form (above, on your phone, or to the right, on your computer) to sign the petition (below), and then forward it to your networks.
And let us know if you plan to refuse testing for your child by sending us an email at lisa@citizensforpublicschools.org.
Sponsored by
To:
Governor Charlie Baker and Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley
From:
[Your Name]
Many parents are exercising their right to opt their children out of this year’s MCAS. They have my full support. I'm glad you've announced that there will be no penalty to either students in grades 3 through 8 or schools when students don't take the test.
However, I am displeased that you insist on taking time away from learning this spring for MCAS despite the worst public health crisis in 102 years. The pandemic has caused unprecedented harm to our families and our children's education.
Teachers should not be wasting precious learning time prepping children for the test. Every effort of our schools should be devoted to healing the wounds and supporting learning.