Letter: Healey Opposes Question 2. Why?

by Annette Pfannebecker and Rick Last

This letter appeared previously in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Governor Healey publicly opposes Ballot Question 2, and we are asking why? Her stance aligns with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, which also opposes the question. But why does she believe their perspective outweighs that of experienced educators who have worked directly with the MCAS and seen the real impact?

The requirement that a student’s graduation hinges on passing the 10th-grade MCAS has prevented countless students from earning their high school diploma. The consequences are severe, as a diploma is essential for advancing in our society. This practice has been harmful for years, yet it continues.

Governor Healey’s stance supports high-stakes testing despite its damaging effects. Students may not graduate, teachers are forced to teach to the test rather than to state standards, and entire schools—some placed in receivership—suffer, impacting entire communities. While standardized testing has long been a method of evaluation, Governor Healey’s position appears to undermine the voices of educators, who consistently advocate for better, research-based practices.

The legislature has failed to act on this issue, which is why 175,000 signatures were gathered to put Ballot Question 2 before the citizens. This question asks us to eliminate the state’s requirement that students must pass the 10th-grade MCAS to graduate. It does not remove MCAS from our schools entirely; it merely eliminates its use as a graduation barrier.

Educators, not a single test, should decide whether a student earns their diploma. This decision should be based on a student’s overall performance, including their GPA, classroom achievement in integration of state standards, and standardized test results. Again ballot Question 2 doesn’t abolish the MCAS—it just removes the unreasonable graduation requirement.

So we ask again, why does Governor Healey not support the educators, students, and families in adopting a better practice for determining graduation eligibility? Massachusetts is one of the few states that still enforces this outdated requirement. Voting “Yes” on Ballot Question 2 is a vote to finally end this detrimental practice.

Annette Pfannebecker and Rick Last

Annette Pfannebecker is a resident of South Deerfield and a retired Amherst educator.
Rick Last is a resident of Northampton and a retired Amherst educator.