Dissent: Massachusetts has an Education Crisis. Let’s Not Take the Easy Way Out.

It’s an open secret that America has an education crisis, and Massachusetts hasn’t escaped. But that doesn’t mean we should let fundamental quality standards deteriorate further.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will decide whether to remove passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System as a high school graduation requirement. The Editorial Board would have us remove the requirement, citing equity concerns.

This test isn’t unreasonable, onerous, or stressful. It covers elementary reading comprehension and simple algebra — think rearranging equations and reading bar graphs.

The Board argues that the MCAS harms low-income and minority students who fail at higher rates than their peers. This is true — and troubling.

But to close achievement gaps, we should help those who struggle, not eliminate basic standards. Despite what the Editorial Board suggests, Massachusetts should stay in the fight for quality education.

If students had only one chance in their senior year to pass, we might understand the Board’s position. But they have five attempts — and those who fail the first time can graduate by meeting a lower score than the original threshold. There are also reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, and there’s even a Spanish-language option for the math section.

A degree needs to mean something. Faced with a failing education system, eliminating our standards means giving up instead of fixing the real problem. Is it right to bestow a high school diploma on students who fail to pass an exam on rudimentary math and literacy?

To be clear, it’s not students’ fault that the education system fails them. Massachusetts must do better. But instead of funneling time and energy into hiding the problem, we should be focusing on helping disadvantaged students catch up.

It’s plain and simple: To graduate high school, you should be able to read and divide.

Rohan Nambiar ’27, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a double concentrator in Mathematics and Economics in Leverett House. Max A. Palys ’26, an Associate Editorial editor, is a double concentrator in Mathematics and East Asian Studies in Currier House.

Dissenting Opinions: Occasionally, The Crimson Editorial Board is divided about the opinion we express in a staff editorial. In these cases, dissenting board members have the opportunity to express their opposition to staff opinion.