What to read: 8 books to better understand the MCAS ballot question

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

To better understand these important ballot questions, we asked booksellers what to 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 English, math, and science MCAS exams to earn a high school diploma. The question has ignited fierce debate, with advocates saying the requirement disproportionately harms low-income and English-learning students, while state officials say it maintains a state standard.

Below, find book recommendations from Sanj Kharbanda, the associate publisher of Beacon Press – the oldest publisher still operating in Boston – and booksellers at Porter Square Books on Question 2.

“What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated? And More Essays on Standards, Grading, and Other Follies” by Alfie Kohn

“Few writers ask us to question our fundamental assumptions about education as provocatively as Alfie Kohn. Time magazine has called him perhaps the country’s ‘most outspoken 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 curriculums and tests a fact of life in every U.S. school.

“In this new collection of essays, Kohn takes on some of the most important and controversial topics in education of the last few years. His central focus is on the real goals of education-a topic, he argues, that we systematically ignore while lavishing attention on misguided models of learning and counterproductive techniques of motivation.” – Sanj Kharbanda, associate publisher, Beacon Press

“The Hardest Questions Aren’t on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School by Linda F. Nathan 

“With engaging honesty, Nathan gives readers a ring-side seat as faculty, parents, and the students themselves grapple with these questions like, ‘What makes a great teacher, and how can a principal help good teachers improve? Why must schools talk openly about race and achievement, and what happens when they do?’ And attempt to implement solutions, and evaluate the outcomes. Stories that are inspirational as well as heartbreaking reveal the missteps and failures-as well as the successes.” – Sanj Kharbanda, associate publisher, Beacon Press

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

“From the founder of the groundbreaking Citizen Schools program that highlights as debates about education rage on, and wealth-based achievement gaps grow, too many people fix the blame on one of two convenient scapegoats: poverty or our public schools. But in fact, low-income kids are learning more now than ever before. The real culprit for rising inequality, Eric Schwarz argues in The Opportunity Equation, is that wealthier kids are learning much, much more – mostly outside of school.” – Sanj Kharbanda, associate publisher, Beacon Press

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

“From the founder of the groundbreaking Citizen Schools program that highlights as debates about education rage on, and wealth-based achievement gaps grow, too many people fix the blame on one of two convenient scapegoats: poverty or our public schools. But in fact, low-income kids are learning more now than ever before. The real culprit for rising inequality, Eric Schwarz argues in The Opportunity Equation, is that wealthier kids are learning much, much more – mostly outside of school.” – Sanj Kharbanda, Beacon Press

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

“Both sides of every issue will try to convince you with statistics. In a world of misinformation and manipulation, understanding data (and knowing when it’s lying to you) is more important than ever. David Spiegelhalter uses real world examples of murder, incompetence, and hyperbole to explain the mundane in new and engaging ways.” – Miles Kendrick, bookseller, Porter Square Books

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

“Alexandra Robbins follows three teachers for a year to provide an in-depth look at what it is like to be a teacher today. Interspersed among the teachers’ stories—a seeming scandal, a fourth-grade whodunit, and teacher confessions – are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support, staffing, and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands.” – Josh Cook, bookseller and co-owner, Porter Square Books

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

“Beyond the question of standardized testing, some argue that the way we assess student achievement through grading and ranking needs to be reconsidered. Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt explain how we got into this predicament, why we remain beholden to our outmoded 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 exploration of all of the impacts on our education of the No Child Left Behind act. Based on a teaching career spanning nearly forty years, Greeley details how schools went from learning communities infused with excitement, intellectual stimulation, and joy to sterile spaces of stress, intimidation, and fear. In this ultimately hopeful memoir, Greeley asks us to learn from the past to reimagine the future of public education.” – Katie Haemmerle, bookseller, Porter Square Books