Please
read below and join us today!
Mission
and Goals
The Massachusetts Coalition
for Authentic Reform in Education (MassCARE) is a growing statewide organization
of parents, educators, students and other concerned residents of Massachusetts
who are working to ensure that all students have a fair chance to receive
a high-quality public education.
We are deeply concerned about the harmful impact the high-stakes MCAS test is
having on our students and schools.
Our first goal is to end the use of the MCAS as a high school graduation
requirement. We are working to replace MCAS with a fair accountability
system that uses multiple ways of assessing student and school progress. We
support assessments that will enhance real classroom teaching and learning
rather than punish students and teachers.
The MCAS issue is part of a wider fight for equity and for true improvements in
public schools. We strongly support increased and more equitable funding for
school systems, among other important measures to improve public education.
How Are We
Organized?
CARE is building a grassroots movement—school by school, town by
town—across the Commonwealth. We consist of more than 40 chapters and
affiliates, with several hundred dues-paying members, representing thousands of
families. (See Chapter Contacts page for a list of our communities and the main
contact people in each.)
An annual Convention
determines the overall direction of the organization. A governing Council,
composed of delegates from local chapters, meets three times a year to discuss
strategy and make major decisions. A 15-member Steering Committee meets monthly
to direct our activities in between Council meetings. All meetings are open and
new people are encouraged to attend! Contact the office if you wish to come.
MassCARE is registered as a
non-profit corporation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MassCARE, Inc.) We
have obtained 501c3 tax exempt status. All contributions to MassCARE are
tax-deductible.
What Do We
Do?
MassCARE educates and
organizes people across the state to support quality public education and oppose
the high-stakes MCAS.
As part of our campaign, we engage in a wide variety of community activities,
such as:
--Informational forums
and public meetings: We have held
dozens of forums in communities across the state to inform people about MCAS and
hear their experiences. Some forums have drawn together more than 200 people and
launched chapters in a region.
--Petition
campaigns: We have collected more
than 20,000 signatures on anti-MCAS petitions and presented them to local and
state elected officials.
--Outreach to
School Committees:
Organized delegations of parents and
teachers have worked closely with local school committees to encourage
resolutions opposing high-stakes MCAS. For three years in a row, the Mass.
Association of School Committees has passed resolutions calling for suspension
of the graduation requirement, partly as a result of our efforts. A number of
school boards now are declaring their intention to grant diplomas to deserving
seniors, regardless of their MCAS scores.
--Media work:
We have worked extensively with the media to foster informed and balanced
coverage of the MCAS and related issues. We have significantly influenced the
debate in this state and have become a presence in many major news stories. Our
members have appeared in hundreds of interviews over the past four years.
--Ballot
initiatives: We worked with other
groups to support a ballot initiative in six urban legislative districts in
2000, calling for suspension of MCAS as well as increased funding for education.
The measure won by a substantial margin in every urban district. A total of more
than 39,000 people voted for the question.
--Boycotts
and Rallies: We have helped organize
large statewide student/parent rallies on Boston Common, smaller rallies and
demonstrations in many communities, and a statewide student caravan to “Drive
the MCAS Out of Mass!” We have provided support to hundreds of boycotting
students and families over the past four years. Some included public exhibitions
showing authentic assessments of student work.
--Research
and Publications: Many of our
members do research on testing issues, sponsor conferences, collect data from
the state Department of Education and local school districts, and write reports.
We issue a variety of publications, including research reports, fact sheets,
MCAS Alerts! brochures, Parents CARE! Newsletters and others items.
--Email
Lists: We run several interlocking
email discussion lists. To subscribe to our statewide list serv, send a blank
message to
care-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
For more information on
MassCARE activities, see other sections. Please join us today! See form on front
page.
Contact Information
