A series of what will probably be unpopular statements about yesterday's #MAEdu Board vote on the MCAS, but gosh, I hate seeing bad info circulating:
1. This was supposed to happen years ago. The change in competency determination is tied to the new MCAS. What has been used for literally YEARS now was an interim step as we switched from one to the other. It was delayed by the pandemic.
2. The creation and maintenance of a "competency determination" based on the tenth grade evaluation is a power of the Board per MGL Ch. 69, sec. 1 (d).

malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLa…
3. That has, ever since ed reform, been a score on the MCAS. Could it be something else? Yes, but that would require significant political will.
4. Something isn't "undemocratic" because there were more public comments on the other side.

(Please believe a local school committee member when I tell you that you really don't want decisions made this way.)
5. Yes, half or so of the state legislature signed something saying it shouldn't be changed, but as has been noted here and elsewhere, they have authorities themselves that have not been used. Why? Beacon Hill doesn't actually want to change this.
5 a. ...not just Governor Baker. This one easily cuts across party lines.
6. There has been what I regard as a maddening refusal to engage with the research the Board is actually considering in making the decision. @bostonjonas discusses it a bit here: commonwealthmagazine.org/education/stat…

We've got 20 years of data here, and DESE is using it.
7. That research CONTROLS FOR some of the common ("oh it just measures) arguments that were made again yesterday.

If in fact we care about kids and their long term well-being, we do owe them real engagement in stuff we know. That includes this research.
8. Peeps, I say this with love; "Only X states are doing this" is never going to win you a political argument in Massachusetts. Doing things our own way is written into the founding documents.
9. Many of the arguments that are continually used are things that are under the control of districts, schools, classrooms. (Take it from someone whose maternity leave came just as the principal decided he needed weekly drills on multiple choice tests.)

We could...not?
10. Finally, #MAEdu is way too small an ecosystem for the amount of talking past each other than happens. Yes, there's a lot of allergy to listening on the Board and in 75 Pleasant Street, but when there HAVE BEEN shifts, there's also been a refusal to see or credit them.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Tracy O'Connell Novick

Tracy O'Connell Novick Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @TracyNovick

Aug 15
The agenda for today's #MAEdu Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting is online here: doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy20…
The livestream will show up over here: livestream.com/accounts/22459…
and we're jumping in mid-public testimony, which looks like legislators
Read 17 tweets
Aug 14
I know most of the attention is on the competency determination for tomorrow's #MAedu Board of Ed meeting; note a proposed shift in the state accountability system is also on the agenda: doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy20…
(all those in favor of the Department being banned from using the word "lite" as if we're talking about cream cheese?)
ok, seriously, though, it's--going to say this publicly--it's a thoughtful phase-in (and even responses to public comment, for those who wondered if that ever happened).
Read 5 tweets
Aug 9
OKAY IT IS THE DAY WE TAKE EVERY DOLLAR OFF BILL GATES WE CAN (in a non-seizing-the-means-of-production-way)

He’s doing a 50% match on @DonorsChoose today, so drop your projects below:
Read 11 tweets
May 26
And from that last: “By the time the shooting starts, the police intervention is going to be reactive. People will already be dead.”

I am reminded of a conversation I had about cameras in schools, where it was called to my attention that cameras are reactive.
Cameras show you when something has ALREADY happened.
They don’t prevent anything.
I know there is this notion that “hardening” (and what a sickening adjective to use!) schools is a “deterrence” but there is no evidence of that.
Read 7 tweets
May 26
Last beam for Doherty going up today! #WorcSchools
Doherty Memorial High School signs says “welcome guests DM
@Mass_SBA Jack McCarthy said that I am almost as much of a pain as @RepJohnMahoney (while noting that this means John is doing his job), so clearly I am doing something right. #BurncoatNext
Read 7 tweets
May 24
#Worcester City Council hears the #WorcSchools bottom line Image
This means it is time for my annual reminder of MGL Ch. 71, sec. 34:
"The vote of the legislative body of a city or town shall establish the total appropriate for the support of the public schools but may not limit the authority of the school committee to determine expenditures within the total appropriation."
Read 48 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(