MCAS

By

AdamD

 

        MCAS is unfair to kids. Is this test really that important? Most kids don’t know that we’re being used. This one test comes with so much pressure and it doesn’t even end up on your report card. Why? I intend to show you.

        MCAS is unfair because we’re being used. One way or another they use you. A way they do it is getting house prices up. If we do well it says that our school is good. But that also means they want to move here, so the prices on houses in Massachusetts towns go up. I think MCAS should stand for,” Massachusetts Child Abuse System.” You are being used by your teachers and even your parents. Your teacher piles a lot of expectations on you and your class and your parents don’t realize some of this so they still want you to do well. There still just using you. Maybe some teachers just want to be known as good teachers. For example, if kids get bad grades they could think they might be known as a bad teacher. So sometimes it’s the parents that want the same thing. To me and probably to you it doesn’t surprise us that this comes with a whole lot of pressure.

        MCAS is unfair because of the ridiculous pressure it comes with. All year we have preparation. My teacher gives us a practice almost three times a week. We already have too much homework anyway! When we’re writing we’re practicing for a test in MCAS called long comp. That’s a five paragraph essay we have to do. I think five paragraphs are way too much for a test. If it’s not enough already we’re being pressured by Massachusetts. Our own state! They want us to do well so we’ll be known as a good educational state. You have the heaviest pressure over you when you’re actually taking the test. They make sure your desks are apart. It makes you feel like you’re in the Navy. But why is this testing so important? All this and it doesn’t even end up on your report card.

        MCAS is unfair because it’s a big waste of time. All this fuss over MCAS is not needed. It doesn’t even end up on your report card. I mean come on! Everything you do and all the hard work is not shown. The test it self takes up a couple whole days. We could be learning something that actually matters. Next to that the practices are endless. We use up all this precious time for a test that doesn’t matter.

        MCAS is unfair. At the beginning I said, “Does this really matter?” After this I don’t think so at all. We’re being used, we’re under pressure, and it’s a big waste of time. I hope this will change and you will help!