MCAS Reform Lobby Day

On February 13th I had the opportunity to participate in the MCAS Reform Lobby Day held at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. This event is organized by Citizens for Public Schools (CPS) and was attended by both supporting organizations and youth from the surrounding communities. The Hearing room was packed as students raised their voices against an exam that is devestating graduation rates in the state especially in urban communities. I had the privilege of spending time with five of these students as they made their way to Representative Haddad’s office, the co-chair on the education committee. These students met with Rep. Haddad’s aide and told their stories of how this exam has negatively impacted their lives and the lives of their classmates. They were then able to make the same case their Representative, Brian Wallace, who listened with great interest to what they had to say.

This day was important for numerous reasons. One, we brought attention to the negative ramifications of high stakes testing and the need for alternative assessment methods to combat the escalating dropout rate. Two, we gave these students the opportunity to not only use their voice, but the opportunity to learn the process of lobbying and actively engaging in the process. Finally, we were able to show in force that the tolerance for the inequity that comes from this method of assessment has reached a limit. We succeeded on all of these points. Please consider joining this effort to bring change to the students of this Commonwealth and for that matter, across the country. High stakes testing is a a by-product of No Child Left Behind. To take action visit the NEA website and follow the links. If you are in Massachusetts, you can do the same at the MTA website. Please join us in our effort to reform these educational policies.

Who is Susie Flynn?

Hey folks! We have a candidate out there who deserves our attention. Her name is Susie Flynn and she wants to be our next President. Susie has one issue in mind...health insurance for ALL CHILDREN. She is backed by the Children’s Defense Fund. Here is what Susie has to say:

My name is Susie Flynn. I am running for President of the United States of America to help the nine million children who have no health insurance. This is a crisis. These children have been let down, yet the people accountable are doing too little to solve it. By running for President, I intend to make everyone in America aware of the issue so that it will no longer be ignored. Under your next President, every child in America must get the health insurance he or she deserves.

For more information on Susie Flynn and her campaign go to: www.electsusie.com. At her website you can participate in the change that is needed for the 9 million uninsured children in America!

Bring Equity to Massachusetts Public Education - Start with Health Ed.

As most of our advocates are aware, this organization is a member of the coalition that supports the Health Education Bill. The Health Education Bill will add comprehensive, age-appropriate health education to the core curriculum for all Massachusetts public schools, and ensure that young people have the information they need to make responsible decisions, prevent disease, reduce risky behaviors, and lead healthy lives. 

This bill if passed will bring much needed equity regarding health education into Massachusetts public schools. It will mandate that all schools teach the state curriculum based on the state frameworks regardless of the economic or political standards of the individual districts. Our children NEED this bill to pass. Currently, the decision is left to each district as to how to handle teaching health education. Although there is a strong curriculum at the DOE, it is not mandated that it be utilized. This curriculum may be implemented at the discretion of each district.

Many districts claim that they do not have the funds to take on another mandated curriculum. Although this is understandable, I would argue that two districts that HAVE mandated a health curriculum, Brockton and North Adams, are two of the most financially challenged in the State. They have prioritized the longterm benefits of health education and have figured out a way to fund it. In fact, the fee for the program used in Brockton runs roughly $5 per student...hardly insurmountable.

Another concern raised is the time constraints of an added curriculum. As understandable as this is, I would argue that most of the programs that I have researched are cross-curricular, guiding teachers to integrate across all curricula. This allows teachers to incorporate activities from each lesson that strengthen skills in another discipline while tapping differing modes of learning.

The Health Education Bill has reached a critical stage in the Massachusetts Legislature - the Joint Committee on Education will decide very soon whether or not the bill will move forward this year. Please contact your legislators today and ask that they urge the Education Committee to vote in favor of the Health Education Bill. Follow the link to find out how to reach your Representative and Senator. Follow this link for a sample letter that you can send to tell them to move this bill forward.  Use your voice for Health Education!
Health_Ed_Bill_Sample_Letter.doc