U.S. History in MCAS: Can It Be Done?

Including US History in the MCAS, a concept proposed by State Senate candidate Dean Cavaretta, is an easily implementable way to improve our students' educational background right now.

School is a time for intellectual growth, and an understanding of the foundation upon which our country is built would be nothing but beneficial to this development. It should be early on in their academic lives that students learn about the functions and development of our system of government, and see just how far we've come as a nation, from social, economic, and legislative perspectives, as this information provides a useful backdrop for understanding current events.

To add this to the curriculum would not cost much in terms of time or the school budget, and the benefit that students would reap from its addition is substantial. An understanding of the process by which this country has developed, and the principles that underlie this development, is essential to producing citizens who will show political responsibility later on in life. While this call for responsible citizenship is frequently lost in political dialogue, replaced by hyperbole and infighting, it appears that Mr. Cavaretta has an earnest desire to improve education in a way that really helps the state's political system in the long run. By educating students about our nation's history, and subsequently testing them to reinforce what they've learned, we can improve the quality of politics in Massachusetts, which will, in turn, improve the way that our local and state governments are run. Upon examining the benefits, even in light of the costs, it seems to be the right thing to do.