Demographics should help guide MCAS rating effort Demographics should guide MCAS rating effort Governor A. Paul Cellucci's recent new plan to give special education students a "certificate" even if they fail the MCAS is unbelieveable. I can't imagine what those students will feel, getting not a high school diploma but a certificate just because they are special education students. Also, how the state education gboard is singling out schools that are not doing good is awful. Before they do that, they should include some more factors, such as population of special education students, living conditions, and so on. Using demographics would be an excellent way to help improve MCAS scores. I think our state's education plan is awful. The way that the state is doing this is putting down superintendents, principals, and teachers. I think that if they want better education in our state, they should get rid of the test or at least make it so its findings do not put down or offend anyone. Concluding, I think that Education Boss Lt. Gov. Jane Swift is not doing a good job doing that job. Her criticism of the people that she is trying to help makes conditions even worse. I think that our state legislature and the people in charge of education and schools in this state should rethink their plans.
This letter was published Monday, January 15th, 2001.
