The Andover School Committee declined to take a position — or even allow a discussion — on a ballot question in next month’s election that, if approved by voters, would eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement.
The decision to not discuss the ballot question came over the objection of members of the union that represents the district’s teachers and even some school committee members. Speaking during the public comment session of Thursday’s school committee meeting, Andover Education Association Vice President Lauren McCarron said she had requested Chair Lauren Conoscenti include it on the agenda to allow for public discussion. She also said she hoped the committee would take a position on the ballot question, as it did during the coronavirus pandemic when the board asked state officials to suspend the controversial testing for one year.
“I’m here again after seeing that this item is not on tonight’s agenda to ask specifically why the committee will not be allowed to discuss this, nor take a position on question two as advocates for public education,” McCarron said. “Why will there be no discussion nor vote taken on such an important public school educational decision and outcome on a statewide ballot initiative that will affect all public schools in Massachusetts?”
Conoscenti said MCAS had been discussed during a workshop earlier in the evening, when Andover Public Schools officials presented test results that were released earlier this month. The workshop’s last 15 minutes were dedicated to discussing the ballot question, she said.
School committee members Lauren Diffenbach and Shauna Murray said they both requested the item be added to Thursday’s agenda.
“I have a response to the public comment I’d like to share,” Diffenbach said.
“We are moving on. We are moving on,” Conoscenti said.
“I think it’s important for the public to know that I requested that it be put on the agenda. I requested it after our last meeting when it was brought up during public input, I asked that it be included on this agenda,” Diffenbach said. “I put in that request on October 3rd. The request for that was denied. It was denied by the chair. It was not on the agenda tonight because it was denied.”
Under the school committee’s policies, the chair sets the agenda for each meeting.
“We have a lot on the agenda,” Conoscenti said. “We are going to be moving on.”