Voting results indicate that MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement

By early Wednesday, with 89% of votes counted, 59% of voters in the state had voted “Yes” on Question 2, eliminating the test as a graduation requirement, according to the Associated Press.

“In passing Question 2, Massachusetts voters declared that they are willing to let teachers teach and students learn without the harsh consequences of a high-stakes standardized test that undermines the mission of public education: preparing all students to future success as citizens, employees and creative, happy adults,” said a joint statement from Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy.

The teachers unions have lobbied hard and spent a lot of money to support the proposal.

“As things stand, we are grateful that voters listened to educators and listened to the impact the MCAS has on students struggling to pass the exam,” said Melissa Verdier, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, the union that represents teachers in Worcester, on Tuesday evening. “It was unfair and it punished students who struggled to master the English language, who had IEPs. Hopefully, as this moves in the right direction, it moves us away from a system that punishes students and toward a system where we can do that. Make sure students have the skills to achieve in life, not to pass a test.”