Fwd: [ARN-state] FW: [care-strategy] Mayor Lang's Press Release re: New Bedford Graduation

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Monty Neill" <monty@fairtest.org>
> Date: Mon Jun 12, 2006  2:11:18 PM US/Pacific
> To: ARN-state@yahoogroups.com, arn-l-owner@interversity.org,  
> arn2-strategy@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [ARN-state] FW: [care-strategy] Mayor Lang's Press Release  
> re:  New Bedford Graduation
> Reply-To: ARN-state@yahoogroups.com
>
> This is a good statement on graduation tests from Mayor Lang in New  
> Bedford MA. New Bedford had decided to award diplomas to all who  
> completed their grad requirements but had not passed the MCAS test;  
> they backed down when Gov Romney threatened this low income district  
> with loss of $103 million in state aid. But, they continue the battle:  
> legislation introduced in the state legislature will be heard by the  
> education committee (whether they will give it a serious hearing  
> remains to be seen -never mind the whole legislature and then a  
> certain veto by the Gov.). Monty
>
> P R E S S   R E L E A S E
> New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang’s  Statement
> on June 9, 2006
>
> New Bedford High School’s graduation will  take place next week on the
> evening of June 15th.  At the ceremony, New  Bedford High School will
> award Certificates of Achievement to students who  have met all local
> graduation requirements but have been unable to pass the  MCAS.
>
> The statewide discussion that has occurred over the past weeks  since
> the New Bedford School Committee voted to introduce a bifurcated   
> system
> of granting high school diplomas has been a discussion about the
> students whose futures are jeopardized by state regulations. The issue
> has never been whether or not New Bedford would present General High
> School Diplomas in violation of the law or whether Governor Romney
> would  withhold $103 million in school funding if New Bedford issued  
> the
> diplomas.  The only issue, and the real-life issue, is what happens to
> students who commit 13 years of their life to the public education
> system, meet all local graduation requirements, do not drop out, do not
> flunk out, and are not thrown out of school, yet are presented with a
> certificate of attendance on graduation day.
>
> It is the New Bedford  School Committee’s belief that these students
> should each be awarded a  General High School Diploma and we will
> continue to press for the  same.  When the New Bedford School Committee
> voted on Monday May 8,  2006, it was clear that the problems inherent
> with the MCAS requirement for  receiving a high school diploma were not
> going to be resolved in a 6-week  period.  We did know, however, that
> our position would stimulate an  important debate regarding the merit  
> of
> requiring all students to pass a  uniform, standardized test as a
> condition of high school graduation.   We also knew that the state had
> cut substantially the remediation money used  by New Bedford Public
> Schools to help children pass the MCAS exam at the  4th, 8th and 10th
> grade levels from over $800,000 to just over $100,000 a  year. It is
> clear, unfunded educational mandates do not work.
>
> New  Bedford and the state’s other urban areas have a significant
> challenge in  motivating young men and women to stay in school and
> complete their high  school education.  Further impediments to their
> individual success only  fuel the dropout rate.  A student will not  
> stay
> in school if they  believe that their hard work and commitment will go
> unrecognized and will  not yield a high school diploma.  A high school
> diploma opens the door  of opportunity to future academic pursuits,  
> jobs
> that pay a living wage,  careers in the armed services, loans for the
> purchase of homes, consumer  goods, and cars, and determines to a large
> degree your social status in our  society.  We need to ensure  
> individual
> success on a student-by-student  basis rather than apply a
> one-size-fits-all education philosophy.
>
> As  part of this debate and as a partial solution to this real problem,
> New  Bedford has decided to take the following steps to resolve these
> issues:
>
> * First, every student who has passed all  of the local graduation
> requirements but failed to pass the MCAS will  receive a Certificate of
> Achievement, a copy of which is  attached.
> * Second, the approximately fifty-two students  who have not passed
> the MCAS exam and who are unable to receive a high  school diploma
> through the Department of Education appeals process will be  offered a
> six-week highly concentrated MCAS test preparatory  course.
>
> This course will be designed to identify  the areas each student
> must focus on to pass the MCAS test.  It is the  New Bedford School
> Department’s intention to offer this to all students who  have passed
> the local graduation requirements but cannot pass the MCAS  test.  They
> will then take the test at New Bedford High School in late  July.  In
> the event that a student is unable to pass the MCAS at that  time, the
> New Bedford School Department will assist them in preparing for  the
> next test date and in filing a formal appeal as provided under current
> Department of Education regulations.  We have asked the State
> Department of Education to help fund this program.  In order to pay for
> the course, a number of private individuals and foundations also have
> been asked to donate the necessary funding.
> * Third,  The New Bedford School Committee and the New Bedford
> Superintendent have  requested through the Massachusetts Department of
> Education the full  restoration of remediation funding that was
> committed to New Bedford when  the MCAS exam became a graduation
> requirement. This would enable MCAS  remediation to be undertaken
> through all grade levels and will grant each  student the opportunity  
> to
> receive special attention in the areas they may  require in order to
> pass the MCAS test.  We continue to request the  state to fulfill this
> commitment.
>
> The necessity of an MCAS test as a  graduation requirement will  
> continue
> to be debated throughout the  state.  While a student who attends a
> private or parochial school never  encounters the MCAS, the student
> nevertheless graduates from high school  with a diploma into a world of
> opportunity.  A student who attends a  public school and does not pass
> the MCAS does not have that chance.  I  fully expect that the citizens
> of the Commonwealth will look toward the  unintended consequences of  
> the
> MCAS system as they continue to consider the  best ways to ensure that
> all of our children receive a quality education  that, upon completion,
> places them in a position for future  success.
> _______________________________________________________________________ 
> _
>
>
> ----- ------- End Forwarded Message ------- -----
>
>
> Monty Neill
> Co-Executive Director
> FairTest
> monty@fairtest.org
> 617-864-4810 fax 617-497-2224
> http://www.fairtest.org
> 342 Broadway
> Cambridge, MA 02139
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
> You can search right from your browser? It's easy and it's free.  See  
> how.
> http://us.click.yahoo.com/_7bhrC/NGxNAA/yQLSAA/xYTolB/TM
> --------------------------------------------------------------------~->
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
>     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARN-state/
>
> <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>     ARN-state-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
>     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/