FYI from BSF, 01.13.23
If Massachusetts schools were a politician, they would be George W. Bush in late September, 2021.
With sky high approval ratings in the most recent MassINC parent poll, Massachusetts families have rallied around their schools and their response to the pandemic. There are variations by question and subgroups, but the big headline is “mission accomplished.”
Summary here. News coverage here.
More than 80% of families give their child’s school an honor roll grade. Most think schools have the resources they need to meet the needs of their kids (73%). Most think that their kids’ schools are physically and emotionally safe (+78%). High school families think their children are ready for the real world (68%).
And, very clearly, families believe that their children have bounced back academically from the pandemic, with nearly one-quarter (73%) believing their children are at or above grade level.
Except, available assessments don’t agree, namely the 2022 MCAS and the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
What do we make of this?
One option is to reject the assessment. That is the stated position of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which earned some measured support from Senate President Karen Spilka and other legislators this week, calling for alternative assessments in general, or for select students.
Another option is to reject the state’s role entirely. Political polarization around education often hinges on the belief that a parent’s preferences or beliefs supersede those of a school or government. For those seeing this through red state colored glasses, beware: Generation Z is progressive and distrustful of government institutions, or read this profile of a UMASS Dartmouth lecturer that trains families to opt of MCAS.
Others may argue that families are not informed; despite mandatory family communication and report cards, many families may not have an accurate picture of what their child should know and be able to do given his or her age. Dismissing this as the Commonwealth of Wobegon or tendency for families to rate their own schools as higher misses the point, too.
It is possible that both families and the assessments are “right,” but about different things. Polling and surveys since March, 2020 have reflected deep appreciation for educators and schools in their attempts to navigate the pandemic; that only increased when schools reopened. The return of child care, routines, book reports, and math quizzes evince that things are moving again. Families are grateful.
At the same time, it is simply untrue that most children in Massachusetts are on grade-level now. One can question the scope and required response for interrupted learning, but it defies all logic to think that remote schooling, absences, and trauma didn’t get in the way of learning. If assessment results did not fall, it would follow that assessments are erroneous or don’t matter. But that didn’t happen.
More than ever, children need academic resources and support. The good will of families does not contradict that. Rather, it is a resource for educators to leverage in schools and in the classroom.
Notes in the Margin
Boston School Committee met on Wednesday. Buses were the main agenda, namely a report and recommendations for reforms, required by the state. There are various, complex reasons why buses are both late and increasingly expensive. The initial recommended reforms should look familiar; many and more were listed in a BPS report in 2016 (see pages 34 and 35). Next steps for implementation are unclear, however, as consultants reported that would not be possible until the district could provide data on its buses. Full meeting materials here.
Boston City Council is again officially exploring a move to an elected school committee.
Safety is a continued topic of concern, with Boston families urging BPS to follow Chelsea’s lead in mandating masks, and some Boston City Councilors calling for metal detectors and police presence in schools.
Boston has a new office to engage young people.
The Black population has declined in Boston, but actually increased in Massachusetts from 2010 to 2020. The result? Increasing diversity in school districts like Woburn.
Public school enrollment decline is not just an issue in Boston or Massachusetts - it is true across all of New England.
The Massachusetts child care system adversely affects low-income residents and creates a $3B+ loss for the economy. New report here.
Governor Healey and Senate President Spilka push for varying degrees of free community college.
A decline in female enrollment is driving down college admissions.
Other Matters
A Tennessee teacher explains how the students in her school district improved literacy through and after the pandemic.