Now, three decades later, Massachusetts ranks number one in education, thanks in part to our strong graduation requirements. Although Latinos still face challenges, families from around the world come here to enroll their students in our world-class system.

Question 2 aims to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement. While it is possible that the test could benefit from an update, it could harm our students and our state’s competitiveness if we eliminate our standardized measure of academic proficiency. Latino students are also likely to be multilingual students, and MCAS provides a diagnostic tool for understanding whether these students are being served equitably.

The state does it too accommodation for disabled students It offers mathematics and science departments in Spanish. As the Globe said in its October 30 editorial“Look at recent history and vote no on Question 2” MCAS should be maintained and improved, not eliminated as a graduation requirement. That’s why we vote no.

Rosalin Acosta

Orleans

Amanda Fernandez

belmont

Acosta is the former Massachusetts secretary of labor and workforce development. Fernandez is a former member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; He is also the founder and CEO of Latinos for Education, but the views he expresses here are his own.

I am a strong supporter of getting rid of MCAS as a graduation requirement. MCAS is promoted as a standardized test, but there is nothing standardized about the state of schools or the lives of our children. Many schools are underfunded and do not have the resources they need to meet the learning and emotional needs of their students. These schools cannot offer competitive salaries to retain teachers and staff. Many students come to school unprepared to learn because they are hungry, homeless, or traumatized by poverty, violence, or racism.

Question 2 seeks to eliminate a barrier that disproportionately affects students of color, students living in poverty, students with learning disabilities, students who speak a language other than English, and students who attend under-resourced schools.

We should not punish children for the inequality in our society. Vote yes on question 2.

Doug Selwyn

green field

If Question 2 is adopted on Election Day, the MCAS would no longer serve as the state’s high school graduation requirement but would continue to serve as a vital data point to be used as a valid measure of student performance to adjust classroom practices for schools and school systems.

Massachusetts can still be a national leader in standards-based rigor. Adopting MassCore as a graduation requirement Every high school in the Commonwealth. Designed to prepare graduates for the university and workforce expectations of the 21st century, this rigorous program of study will provide a foundation from which each student can advance.

For some students, perhaps those with learning disabilities who could not fulfill the world language requirement no matter how hard they tried (I was one of those students; I have dyslexia), the 10th grade MCAS could then serve as an alternative requirement. and those who successfully pass it will also receive their high school diploma.

This would provide Massachusetts with a robust box of options to maximize each student’s potential beyond a high-stakes test. This model would allow teachers to shape the scope and sequence of challenging learning experiences at the school level where honorable work is done.

Matthew H. Malone

roslindale

The author is a former Massachusetts secretary of education and a former school superintendent.

A common criticism of MCAS is that it forces educators to “teach to the test.”

Let me rephrase that statement: It enables educators to teach test-measured material.

I have to ask: What’s wrong with this?

Sumner Blunt

arlington