You can improve the platform NOW...

• "Education reform is more than one high-stakes test" --Deval Patrick, 2006.
• "We support comprehensive, authentic, and multiple means of assessment for students, schools, and districts, as stated in the Education Reform Act of 1993...We reject scholarships based upon performance on the MCAS." -- Massachusetts Democratic Party platform, 2005
• " " -- current Draft Massachusetts Democratic Party platform on the MCAS.

• "We support comprehensive and authentic assessments of students, teachers, and schools beyond the limits of isolated high-stakes test regimes such as the MCAS." -- The Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform, 2009 -- with your help.

Writing an education platform plank that ignores MCAS is like writing a health-care plank that ignores getting sick -- I don't think it's a "concise way" to "be clear what we want to achieve". It's pointless. I agree with the sentiments quoted above who see the wisdom in placing MCAS in its much wider context. So I am proposing that the education plank be amended to add the phrase

"We support comprehensive and authentic assessments of students, teachers, and schools beyond the limits of isolated high-stakes test regimes such as the MCAS."

But I cannot disagree with the results that John Walsh and David Axelrod get with their bottom-up approach, so I will imitate it.

I am asking delegates to the state convention to start moving this amendment now. If you are a delegate,you can sign this amendment -- and sign it now. Here's how:

1. Download the Microsoft Word document that is a signature page for this amendment.

2. Please notify me at that you have done so, and how many signatures, 1-100, that you think you can get. I will tell you how to find someone on the education team in Springfield who can collect your signature page.

3. Ask anyone you know who will be a convention delegate to the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention, June 6th 2009, to sign it.

4. Bring the signature page to the education team in Springfield, and we will convey it to the state party.

I realize this is different. I realize this may result in some signatures from people who don't make it to the convention for last-minute reasons. However, I am relying on the good faith of John Walsh that the state party will treat these signatures fairly. This shouldn't be about some education muckymucks "calling out the troops" but about people who know public education and care about it doing something about it.

And in any case, be rest assured we'll be out there with clipboards. Trust in God, but tie your camel tight, as they say in Morocco...

Signature Page download link