By Adam Swift
The city council voted in support of a state ballot measure that would eliminate the MCAS test as a graduation requirement in Massachusetts at its meeting last week.
The motion was presented by councillors Juan Pablo Jaramillo, Angela Guarino-Sawaya, and Marc Silvestri.
“I am excited to stand in support with our public school teachers who are working really hard to do some education around Question 2,” said Jaramillo. “As we know, our students are more valuable than what a test can dictate, and unfortunately, for some 20 years, we have been telling them that they are not (as valuable) if they fail this test.”
A repeal of the MCAS graduation requirement would mean that teachers would be able to teach real courses without having to teach their students how to pass a test that is tied to their graduation and future prospects, Jaramillo said.
“It’s unfair and it is cruel to tell a child who is plain and simple a bad test taker that they cannot go to university, they cannot graduate when they may be brilliant otherwise,” he said.
Jaramillo said it is also unfair to teachers who might otherwise be gifted and are told they are doing a poor job if not enough of their students pass the MCAS exam.
“Teachers are doing a great job and they are committed to maintaining and raising the standards, and I know that to be true and they are doing that in the city of Revere,” said Jaramillo.
Guarino-Sawaya said she agrees with the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association, which is supporting the Yes on 2 campaign to end the MCAS graduation requirements. She said the test is unfair to students with disabilities or who speak English as a second language.
“It is important that we begin teaching our students what is necessary to succeed in life, not by an MCAS test that is absolutely irrelevant when they graduate from school,” said Guarino-Sawaya.
Silvestri said teaching to the MCAS test forces many teachers to make students memorize information rather than letting them learn.
“As we all know, each one of us has a different style of learning, and tests do not always show how a kid can shine,” said Silvestri.
Council President Anthony Cogliandro said he supported the motion.
“I can only imagine what teachers are going to be able to do when we take these handcuffs off of them; I’m very excited,” he said.
Michelle Ervin, co-president of the Revere Teachers Association, recounted how when she worked in another district, a full week was spent doing nothing but preparing students for the MCAS math test.
“They did not learn anything for a week except how to pass the math MCAS,” she said.