Thursday, May 28, 2009

You can improve the platform NOW...

  • "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

3 comments:

Shiltone said...

Is there any chance the MCAS amendment drive and the "safe schools" one -- I support both -- can be combined into one petition on the education plank, to improve their chances of reaching the signature threshold and of there being enough time to debate them both on the floor? I'm concerned that the number of amendments that will be offered (this makes four that I know of so far) will mean they can't all be considered.

Anonymous said...

No. John Walsh has said he will not consider combined amendments. He has said that each amendment has to come with it's own signatures.


LynPB

Quriltai said...

Lyn's right...if I could combine amendments I'd be pushing a much more comprehensive amendment on reform.

However, I think that safe schools supporters and education supporters will be exchanging forms and merging forces.

I'm planning on posting a second amendment on supporting education of bilingual and g/t students later tonight...