Boston’s MCAS Improve, But Still Behind

While the city of Boston still lags behind the state in the MCAS, they posted an improvement in their scores.

Boston public school students improved in English and Math, but continued to lag behind the state, particularly in science, an exam that, beginning with the Class of 2010, they will need to pass in order to graduate, according to standardized test results released today by the state Department of Education.

Complete district-by-district, school-by-school statistics are available today on the Herald’s web site.

In Boston, students scored the worst on the eighth-grade MCAS science test, with 0 percent scoring in the “advanced” category and 52 percent earning a “warning/failing” grade. Statewide, 3 percent of eighth graders scored “advanced” in science and 22 percent scored “warning/failing.”

In the 10th grade, 5 percent of Boston students scored “advanced,” and 29 percent scored “warning/failing” on the science portion, compared to 14 percent and 12 percent respectively statewide.

The Class of 2010 will be the first class that will have to pass the science Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam in order to graduate. So there is growing pressure on school officials to prepare students in that subject.

I’m sure Mayor Menino will come up with something to bring those scores closer to the state level.

Gloucester High Gets Knocked Up

When you are in high school, you try to keep up with the latest trends and fads in order to stay “hip” and “cool.” Typically this involves clothing, or recreational drug use, and of course sex. However, some 17 girls at Gloucester High School kicked it up a notch, and thought it would be super cool to make a pregnancy pact.

There’s a stunning twist to the sudden rise in teen pregnancies at Gloucester High School. 17 students there are expecting and, according to a published report, most of them became that way on purpose.

Time Magazine is reporting that nearly half of the girls confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. None of the girls is older than 16.

Principal Joseph Sullivan has not returned calls from WBZ to confirm the report.

Is there nothing else to do in Gloucester? Seriously? Are these girls just unhappy with their lives that they feel the need to bring a child into the mix and ruin another life, or are they just plain stupid?

Sullivan told the magazine that the pact wasn’t the only shocking incident.

“We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy,” he told Time.

I guess one girl doesn’t like guys who live with their parents. Good luck getting child support money from a guy whose greatest achievements are not dying in the gutter and sleeping with a girl 8 years his junior. Will she sue the homeless guy for his cardboard box and his collection of empty soda cans?

The jump in pregnancies has, of course, sparked the debate about distributing contraceptives in the school.

Last month, two top officials at the high school’s health center resigned in a fight over contraceptives distribution.

Medical Director Dr. Brian Orr and chief nurse practitioner Kim Daly support confidentially giving contraceptives to students. They were outraged about resistance from Addison Gilbert Hospital, which administers the state public health grant that funds the school clinic.

Perhaps Gloucester should consider a Prop. 2 1/2 override to provide free birth control–well, maybe not. Perhaps they need to revamp their sex education program.

Normally, the school has about four pregnancies per school year.

According to Time, school officials started looking into the spike in pregnancies after an unusual number of girls came to the school clinic for pregnancy tests. Some came by several times.

“Some girls seemed more upset when they weren’t pregnant than when they were,” Sullivan told the magazine.

So there you have it…these girls are just plain stupid. Good luck raising your bastard children. Can’t wait for my tax dollars to pay for your stupid mistake.

No Teacher Left Behind

Teachers are often referred to as having the most important job of all–making it all the more preposterous that the State Senate has approved a bill that would lower the bar for aspiring teachers.

The state Senate has approved a bill that would allow aspiring teachers who flunk the certification test three times to possibly teach anyway.

The law would provide a waiver that could lead to certification,

The teaching candidates who failed three times would have to have come close to passing at least once.

Are they serious? If someone who couldn’t pass certification–three times–is allowed to teach, that will diminish the credibility of the entire teaching profession in the state of Massachusetts. This bill is such an insult to teachers across the Commonwealth, and should offend teachers everywhere. So many talented instructors work very hard and get a good education so they can get certified to do something they have a passion for, and the State Senate has effectively devalued their efforts and their profession.

In my area of study, there are reasons why there are such rigorous standards in place for licensing–it’s a matter of life safety. Same goes in the medical profession. Just because having a person who clearly can’t teach be permitted to stand in front of a classroom and instruct doesn’t directly put anyone’s life in danger, doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences.

Senate Republicans ridiculed the legislation, which still needs approval from the House and Governor Patrick.

Senator Bruce Tarr asked how the state can expect students to have a minimum level of knowledge when they don’t expect the same from teachers.

As politicians continue to lower the bar for everything, where will the motivation be for aspiring teachers and other future professionals to strive for better than “close to passing”?

Patrick Vying For In-State Tuition For Illegals

Our fledgling governor thinks he has the political capital to bring about in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.

PC Police Hit Natick High School

The MetroWest Daily News reports that Natick High School’s sports teams will no longer be called the “Redmen.”

he Natick public schools will stop using the team name Redmen starting in the 2008-09 school year.

The School Committee last night voted 4-3 to accept member Ted Wynne’s motion that effective at the start of the 2008-09 school year “the Natick public schools shall cease the use of the team name Redmen or any other name, symbol or mascot that is based on or makes reference to race or ethnicity.”

After three months of discussion, passions ran high as scores of supporters and opponents of the Redmen nickname flocked to Wilson Middle School’s auditorium to plead their case for keeping or removing the Redmen nickname.

“To eliminate Redmen would not be in the best interest of the educational system,” said longtime Natick resident Richard Perry to applause. “It’s political correctness gone mad. Where does freedom of speech begin and where does it end? Political correctness is the beginning of the end. ACLU where are you?”

Ridiculous.