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Beacon Hill's top leaders wage uphill fight against Question 2
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Twenty years ago today, Red Sox fans were waking up to a 3-0 series deficit to the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. I don’t have to tell you what happened next. To mark next weekend’s anniversary of the Sox’ curse-breaking World Series victory, we want to hear from you: Where were you when they did it? What’s your favorite memory from 2004? And what does the championship mean to you now? Tell us by filling out this form.
Now, to the news:
Ballot battles: It’s all hands on deck for supporters of the MCAS. Down in the polls and getting outspent by the other side, opponents of Question 2 — the ballot measure to get rid of the standardized test as a high school graduation requirement — gathered Massachusetts’ top elected officials yesterday for a show of force. Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Attorney General Andrea Campbell headlined the press conference, joining several dozen other local elected officials who have come out against Question 2. “Massachusetts has the best public schools in the country because of our high standards, not in spite of them,” Healey said.
- Zoom out: Three straight polls have found the yes side leading by double digits, with above 50% of respondents saying they support Question 2 in each survey. And while the business community has united against the measure, The Boston Globe reported yesterday the no campaign is getting outspent and outworked. (The yes campaign also has dozens of elected officials on their side, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.)
- The debate in a nutshell: Opponents of the measure argue that getting rid of the MCAS will create a patchwork of graduation criteria across the state’s 300+ school districts and potentially widen inequities. The yes side argues the test is harmful to English language learners and students with disabilities, which account for the vast majority of the roughly 700 students who are blocked from graduating each year because of the MCAS.
- Go deeper: WBUR hosted a Question 2 debate yesterday, featuring Max Page, the president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and Jim Peyser, the state education secretary under Gov. Charlie Baker. Watch the 20-minute debate here.
- You can also read our full Question 2 explainer here.
- Meanwhile: Healey hasn’t taken a position on most of the ballot questions. But during a GBH News interview yesterday, she did come out against Question 5 on the tipped minimum wage.
Own goal: Boston’s new pro women’s soccer team is apologizing for — and abandoning — its edgy marketing campaign. “While we had hoped to create a bold and buzzworthy brand launch campaign, we missed the mark,” Boston Unity Partners, the group behind the new BOS Nation FC team, said Wednesday.
- The “Too Many Balls” slogan had been an attempt to differentiate the team from Boston’s popular men’s sports teams. However, it was quickly criticized as being transphobic and for its failure to recognize other women’s pro sports in the city. “We fully acknowledge that the content of the campaign did not reflect the safe and welcoming environment we strive to create for all,” the team said.
- Further reading: Laura Everett writes in this Cognoscenti commentary that perhaps the worst part of the rollout was the suggestion the team’s all-female ownership group doesn’t trust Boston sports fans to cheer for pro women’s teams.
PSA: Are you enrolled in SNAP or MassHealth? Healey’s office announced yesterday that Bay Staters enrolled in state public assistance programs will now automatically be enrolled in gas and electric bill discounts, thanks to a new partnership with utilities.
- What’s it worth? A yearly discount of up to $460 on gas heating and up to $1,058 on electric bills, according to Healey’s office.
Done deal: Graduate student workers at Boston University have ratified their first contract, putting an end to a seven-month strike. WBUR’s Amy Sokolow reports 87% of the graduate student worker union voted in favor of the three-year deal proposed by BU. It includes a minimum 12-month stipend of $45,000 to all PhD students, which amounts to a 70% raise for the lowest-paid workers.
P.S.— Sky gazers could have a pretty good two-for tonight. The biggest and brightest supermoon of the year is coinciding with a rare comet that’s been making the rounds this week. CBS Boston has some tips for trying to see them both.
