(last update: 24-Dec-2004)
Let our Governor and the Legislators know that you strongly support the education reform but that you are convinced the MCAS is bad and should not be part of the reform. The Education Reform Act of 1993 does not contain anything resembling the MCAS. The taxpayers are paying billions of dollars on education and they deserve accountability that goes far beyond the average MCAS scores. These scores offer a very narrow and biased view, and you, as a taxpayer, demand to know whether all of the goals of the reform are being attained.
Or you may pick any of the other issues that are of particular concern to you, or any of the many issues presented on these web pages, and let the Governor and the Legislators know what you think. They have the power to make a change.
Whenever you write to the Governor or the Legislators, be sure to include your full name, your address, and your telephone number (they ignore letters that do not have this vital information).
To contact your Legislators, go to State Legislators. For your convenience, here is a list of members of the Education Committee.
To write to the Governor, address the letters to:
The Honorable Jane Swift
Governor of Massachusetts
The State House
Boston, MA 02133
Or you can send e-mail to goffice@state.ma.us, or call her at 617-727-3600.
You should know that the Governor appoints the Board of Education and therefore has influence over the Board. The Board is guilty of over-emphasizing the MCAS and the Governor, if she wants to, can pressure the Board to restore balance.
The MCAS sounds like a good idea to someone who has not had a chance to examine the issues surrounding the MCAS. Our job is to educate the public so almost everyone eventually understands the flaws of the MCAS. It is therefore very important that as many of us as possible publicly express our opinions. We can do in many ways, including the following.
Please talk to your friends and neighbors. Explain why the MCAS is so controversial. Refer them to this or other similar web sites. Urge them to take a more active role.
Please write letters-to-the-editor to your local and statewide newspapers. Respond to editorials or articles exalting the MCAS.
Please support School Committee members, teachers, and other local school officials who oppose the MCAS. They may hesitate to officially proclaim their opposition unless they feel they have the support of the parents.
Please consider bringing MCAS opposition to your local Democratic or Republican Town Committees.
Please protest business organizations that fund Mass Insight (Fleet, Stop & Shop, Verizon, Massachusetts Electric, Gillette, and others).
Even if you don't have the time to actively participate, please join Arlington CARE so your opinion can be counted. Together we can speak with a louder voice.
The easiest way of joining is by sending e-mail to membership@ArlingtonCARE.org
Let us know your name, address, e-mail, and telephone number (this information will be kept in confidence).
You can also reach us by mailing a card to:
Arlington CARE
P.O. Box 1241
Arlington, MA 02474-8422
or by telephoning one of the following individuals:
George Blaszczynski, 781-646-0337
Mary Fusoni, 781-646-3445
Lynette Culverhouse, 781-641-3076
To join our e-mail newsgroup, send a blank e-mail message to: ArlingtonCARE-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Donations to offset our printing and rental costs are always welcome.
Write checks to Arlington CARE (more).