Books to help you better understand the MCAS election question

Books

Want to better understand the Massachusetts state ballot issues you’ll be voting on in November? These booksellers have recommendations.

This November, Massachusetts residents will vote on five ballot questions and make important decisions about legalizing psychedelics, eliminating the tipped minimum wage, allowing rideshare drivers to unionize, and more.

To better understand these important election questions, we asked booksellers what they should read to be a more informed voter at the ballot box.

Question 2, one of the five ballot questions, would eliminate the requirement to pass the MCAS English, math and science exams to earn a high school diploma. The question has sparked a heated debate. Advocates say the requirement disproportionately harms low-income and English-learning students, while state officials say it maintains a state standard.

Below are book recommendations from Sanj Kharbanda, co-publisher of Beacon Press – the oldest publisher still operating in Boston – and the booksellers at Porter Square Books for Question 2.

“What does it mean to be well educated? And Other Essays on Standards, Grading, and Other Follies” by Alfie Kohn

“Few authors challenge us to question our fundamental assumptions about education as provocatively as Alfie Kohn. Time magazine called him perhaps “the country’s harshest critic of education’s fixation on grades (and) test scores.” And the Washington Post says he is “the most energetic and charismatic figure standing in the way of a major federal effort to make standardized curricula and testing a reality in every U.S. school.”

“In this new collection of essays, Kohn addresses some of the most important and controversial educational topics of recent years. His primary focus is on the true goals of education – a topic he believes we systematically ignore while paying attention to misguided learning models and counterproductive motivational techniques.” – Sanj Kharbanda, Associate Editor, Beacon Press

“The Hardest Questions Are Not Under Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School by Linda F. Nathan

“With engaging honesty, Nathan offers readers the opportunity to stand alongside teachers, parents and students themselves as they grapple with questions such as: ‘What makes a great teacher and how can a principal help good teachers thrive?’ improve?’ Why do schools need to talk openly about race and achievement and what happens when they do? And try to implement solutions and evaluate the results. Stories that are both inspiring and heartbreaking reveal the missteps and failures – but also the successes.” – Sanj Kharbanda, Associate Editor, Beacon Press

“The Opportunity Equation: How Citizen Teachers Are Combating the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools” by Eric Schwarz

“According to the founder of the groundbreaking Citizen Schools program, which draws attention to the raging debates over education and the widening achievement gaps based on wealth, too many people are blaming one of two convenient scapegoats: poverty or our public schools. In fact, low-income children are learning more today than ever before. The real culprit for rising inequality, argues Eric Schwarz in The opportunity equationis that wealthier children learn much, much more – especially outside of school.” – Sanj Kharbanda, Associate Editor, Beacon Press

“The Opportunity Equation: How Citizen Teachers Are Combating the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools” by Eric Schwarz

“According to the founder of the groundbreaking Citizen Schools program, which draws attention to the raging debates over education and the widening achievement gaps based on wealth, too many people are blaming one of two convenient scapegoats: poverty or our public schools. In fact, low-income children are learning more today than ever before. The real culprit for rising inequality, argues Eric Schwarz in The opportunity equationis that wealthier children learn much, much more – especially outside of school.” – Sanj Kharbanda, Beacon Press

“The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data” by David Spiegelhalter

“On any issue, both sides will try to convince you with statistics. In a world full of misinformation and manipulation, understanding data (and knowing when it’s lying to you) is more important than ever. David Spiegelhalter uses real-life examples of murder, incompetence and exaggeration to explain the everyday in new and engaging ways.” – Miles Kendrick, Bookseller, Porter Square Books

“The Teachers: A Year in America’s Most Vulnerable and Important Profession” by Alexandra Robbins

“Alexandra Robbins follows three teachers for a year to give a detailed insight into what it is like to be a teacher today. Interspersed among the teachers’ stories—an apparent scandal, a fourth-grade murder mystery, and teacher confessions—are powerful essays with timely accounts of the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as: B. Violence at school; outrageous behavior of parents; inadequate support, staffing and resources coupled with unrealistically increasing demands.” – Josh Cook, bookseller and co-owner, Porter Square Books

“Off the Mark: How Grades, Assessments, and Rankings Undermine Learning (But Don’t Have to)” by Jack Schneider and Ethan L. Hutt

“Beyond the issue of standardized testing, some argue that the way we assess student performance through grading and ranking needs to be reconsidered. Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt explain how we got into this predicament, why we remain committed to our outdated forms of assessment, and what we can do to change course.” – Josh Cook, bookseller and co-owner, Porter Square Books

Testing Education: A Teacher’s Memoir by Kathy Greeley

“This book, written by a teacher, is a personal examination of all the impacts of the No Child Left Behind law on our education. Based on a nearly forty-year teaching career, Greeley describes how schools evolved from learning communities full of excitement, intellectual stimulation, and joy to sterile spaces filled with stress, intimidation, and fear. In this ultimately hopeful memoir, Greeley challenges us to learn from the past to reimagine the future of public education.” – Katie Haemmerle, bookseller, Porter Square Books