“It’s concerning that the state continues to use an accountability system that is obviously not working - one that is punitive toward the students with the highest levels of need, one that only exacerbates the achievement gaps we’re seeing between students in our cities and their peers in wealthier suburbs.

Unfortunately, under the current punitive and narrow test-based system, the schools that are in the most need of resources and are teaching the students with the highest levels of need stand to lose the most in the wake of these test results. Instead of using these scores to highlight what schools need, they are used to allow unproven top-down interventions and privately-run charter schools that strip away additional funding at a time when school budgets are already facing cuts.”  

For the last ten years, Nikki Giraffo, a longtime art educator in Lowell and currently teaching at Lowell High School, has provided local students a “refuge” to develop their artistic abilities in a safe space, with a hands-on team of mentors.

In 2014, Giraffo opened the Refuge Art School in the Western Avenue Studios and Lofts in downtown Lowell to expand access to arts education to low-income students. The school provides community-based arts opportunities that not only foster their personal growth as artists, but helps address the varied emotional and educational needs of its students.

“Refuge was established while I was working as a full-time art teacher across Lowell Public Schools’ four alternative schools,” said Giraffo. “These schools include K-12, therapeutic, and behavioral settings, where I worked with two schools per day, three schools per semester, and four schools per year. This experience revealed a pressing need for a supportive space for young artists.”

AFT Massachusetts members are taking action to get out the vote for Kamala Harris for President in battleground states and in support of Yes on Ballot Question 2 in Massachusetts.

This November’s election will be critical to preserving our hard fought rights and victories, like ensuring all workers benefit from the strong labor protections we’ve won over the past century, and giving people in every industry a voice on the job through the ability to join a union.  

A YES vote on Question 2, would end the misuse of the MCAS test as a graduation requirement. Students would still take the MCAS and the test would be used as an assessment tool, but passage would no longer be a requirement to receive a high school diploma. This change would align Massachusetts with 42 other states that don’t require a standardized test for graduation.

Massachusetts is one of only eight states that require students to pass a high school graduation test in order to receive a diploma. As a result, educators are forced to narrow our curriculum to the passing of a single test, and hundreds of students each year are denied a diploma despite meeting all other academic requirements. But a ballot initiative on this November’s statewide ballot could change that.

“Passing Question 2 will allow educators to spend less time teaching to the test, and instead focus on teaching real-world skills including hands-on learning, creativity, critical thinking and working well in a group, which are essential to success in college and the workforce,” said AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang. “That’s important for all students, and especially for students of color, low-income students, students with disabilities and students for whom English is their second language, who are especially harmed by the MCAS graduation requirement. Too often, our highest-need students miss out on deeper, more meaningful learning because they’re forced to spend extra hours on repetitive test prep. Question 2 will allow educators to prioritize students’ unique learning needs to ensure they meet state standards, rather than denying them diplomas at a critical juncture in their life.”

AFT has officially endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang, who voted in support of the endorsement Sunday as a member of the AFT Executive Council before it went to the full delegation Monday, released the following statement:

“President Joe Biden is the best labor president in our nation’s history, and we at AFT Massachusetts are deeply grateful to him for his strong leadership and record accomplishments for the American people, particularly women’s rights, labor rights and public education. His legacy as a leader who brought America out of the COVID-19 pandemic, fixed the worst economy since the Great Depression, and delivered again and again for working people is unmatched.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has been by President Biden’s side leading the fight for reproductive rights, labor rights, and social and economic justice. She is the right person for this moment, and we are proud to be a part of her historic endorsement at the AFT convention.