[WestMALocals] Press Releases| Broadhurst Opposes MCAS

[Owen Broadhurst]

Owen R. Broadhurst

96 Elbert Road

Agawam, MA  01001-3202

413.786.1508

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Owen R. Broadhurst Condemns Proposed Shift in MCAS Passing Scores

MCAS a "Weapon of the Movement for Public School Privatization"



AGAWAM- Green-Rainbow Party candidate for State Representative in the Third
Hampden District, Owen R. Broadhurst of Agawam, today condemned the Board of
Education's proposal to raise the passing MCAS score required to graduate
high school and urged passage of legislation to scrap MCAS as a graduation
requirement.



"One single standardized test ought not determine who passes and who fails,"
Broadhurst observed, "and most especially not when the financial burden of
both MCAS remedial and preparatory classes is an unfunded mandate imposed by
the state. What failing schools urgently need is the local aid funding
necessary for them to meet state imposed mandates. Instead, the state denies
funding to schools unable to meet MCAS mandates in order to facilitate the
downward spiral of failing scores that would result in their privatization,
as has always and admittedly been the Pioneer Institute's very plan".



Broadhurst suggested that the Board of Education was disappointed that more
schools aren't reporting lower scores on MCAS, and is deliberately raising
the stakes to deal them setbacks. "MCAS was designed and engineered by the
libertarian think tank known as the Pioneer Institute for one purpose and
one purpose alone, " Broadhurst argued, "and that is ultimately to destroy
the promise of public education forever."



"Not satisfied with their progress in facilitating the two-tiered economy
that Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner has observed to be their goal, the
libertarian think tanks dominating our Board of Education intend to shred
the promise of equal opportunity forever by privatizing educational
opportunities and putting them beyond the reach of most people," Broadhurst
noted. With no compensatory funding allowed for remedial programs, and no
means made available of assessing academic progress beyond a single high
stakes test, Broadhurst insisted the deck was already being stacked against
students of modest means and that students denied support are leaving at
alarming pace.



"Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross has observed that
nearly 50% of African-American and Latino students are dropping out of
school," Broadhurst noted, "and that a primary reason for this is lack of
support in dealing with MCAS. What we need in our schools are multiple forms
of assessment to facilitate education of the whole child as opposed to the
growing plague of 'teaching to the test'. Students with learning
disabilities are particularly discriminated against in MCAS testing, as the
test itself is structurally biased against that individualized education
such students need."



Broadhurst declared MCAS a "weapon for privatization of public schools";
urged that the Education Reform Act be implemented as it was conceived; and
insisted that teachers and parents only should comprise the Board of
Education. "MCAS has as its intent the creation and maintenance of a very
low wage work force," he said, "and in that respect, it's a genuine
Massachusetts success story. Let's facilitate an economy for all."






-- 
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org