President’s Bulletin
October 2024
Protecting Our Kids’ Futures & Upholding Massachusetts’ High Education Standards in the November Election
How Question 2 threatens Massachusetts’ future, what the Council is doing, and how you can help
With Election Day approaching, I want to update you on the Massachusetts High Technology Council’s efforts to protect the educational standards that have made Massachusetts a leader. As vote-by-mail ballots are being returned and less than a month remains until in-person voting, we are actively advocating against Question 2, a ballot initiative that threatens to weaken these standards.
Protecting Massachusetts’ High Standards & Our Kids’ Futures
The Council has strongly supported the grade 10 MCAS high school graduation requirement since its inception in the 1990s, recognizing its critical role in making Massachusetts a leader in education. We firmly oppose any efforts to weaken the state’s accountability system and are actively advocating against Question 2 on the November ballot, which would dismantle the standards that have ensured educational equity and excellence across the Commonwealth.
Growing Opposition to Question 2
We are not alone in our efforts. This week, The Boston Globe and Boston Herald both endorsed a “No” vote on Question 2, joining a growing list of voices urging voters to reject the misguided ballot initiative.
The Globe editorial board cautioned against undoing the progress Massachusetts has made since passing education reform legislation in 1993 and of breaking the promise of those reforms that all students in Massachusetts will receive a quality education, writing that “the MCAS graduation requirement—and the backup options for students who don’t pass the exam—exists to hold schools to that promise. Massachusetts has seen the inequality that results when every district simply makes its own rules—and we should not want to go back.”
In its editorial, the Herald echoed this, stating that standards and assessments benefit the students who are most in need: “Massachusetts owes it to our students to provide them with the best quality education. This requires a standard assessment of what they have been taught and which students are struggling, in order to marshal resources to help them.”
The coalition of groups opposing Question 2 also continues to grow, with the endorsements of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and The Alliance for Business Leadership.
Even the Cambridge City Council rejected a petition to endorse “Yes” on Question 2. City Councilor Paul Toner, a former President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), emphasized: “We shouldn’t be letting kids graduate from our high schools without being able to demonstrate that they can meet these basic requirements.”
New Ads Warn of Dangers of Passing Question 2
Education Standards are Critical to Massachusetts’ Competitiveness
Massachusetts’ top-ranked education system is a key driver of the state’s economy.
Protecting these strengths and raising awareness about policies that could undermine them are key goals of the Mass Opportunity Alliance (MOA), which the Council co-leads with the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and Pioneer Institute.
Last week, MOA released an analysis on the role of standardized tests in maintaining Massachusetts’ leadership in education, noting: “[MOA’s] Opportunity Report Card ranks Massachusetts as an ‘A’ in education. A strong education system is the foundation for a thriving economy. Success in the classroom leads to real-world success, and falling behind could have serious consequences for our economy and children’s futures.”
The Attleboro Sun Chronicle wrote about MOA’s analysis and included my statement that “at a time when steep taxes, outmigration, and cost of living are threatening competitiveness in our state, we can’t let the next generation of Massachusetts leaders fall behind.”
How You Can Help Protect Masschusetts’ High Standards
The Massachusetts Teachers Association is putting significant resources into its campaign to eliminate the Commonwealth’s only statewide graduation requirement, reporting recently that they have made a $3.4 million ad buy.
With Election Day approaching and vote-by-mail ballots in homes, the No on 2 campaign has hit a crucial point. While the campaign has strong, winning messages, additional resources are needed to fund advertising and ensure those messages reach voters.
If you would like to support the No on 2 campaign, you can donate online or via check (details below). ACH is also available. Please reach out to Elizabeth Mahoney at elizabeth@mhtc.org for ACH details or with any questions about the campaign.
Checks
Made payable to: “Protect our Kids’ Future: Vote No on 2”
Protect our Kids’ Future
Attn: Meredith Lerner Moghimi
PO Box 130041
Boston, MA 02113