While the country’s eyes focus on the presidential election, Boston residents are closely watching to see the results of the five Massachusetts ballot questions, with many wanting to do away with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test for students.
The ballot questions have been hotly debated. Reporters from The Scope asked residents of Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan which questions mattered the most to them. Besides the MCAS question, Question 2, voters mentioned tipping workers and psychedelic drugs.
The debate around Question 2 has stood out. As it stands, students in Massachusetts must pass the MCAS in their sophomore year of high school in order to graduate. Some believe that this means teachers are only teaching for the test and that the test should not determine if someone can graduate. Others believe the MCAS is still a good marker of students’ learning.
At the Richard J. Murphy K-8 School in Dorchester, Christine Rosell, a 79-year-old retired chief financial officer for private schools, told Scope reporters that she voted to eliminate the MCAS requirement because it does not take into account students’ learning styles or disabilities.
“There’s no reason they can’t still take the MCAS, but to have it as a graduation requirement… if students have passed all of their courses and they’re denied a diploma because of that test, that will not help,” Rosell said.
Conversely, Eileen Kenner, a 70-year-old researcher from Dorchester, was at the Uphams Crossing polling location casting a vote to keep the MCAS requirement. Kenner sees the MCAS as a marker for students’ critical thinking and an assessment of their skill levels.
“You have to take accountability when you’ve gone to school for 12 years,” Kenner said. “We need to know you learned something.”
Tamieka Banks-Tillman, a 31-year-old food industry manager from Roxbury, shared similar sentiments to Kenner. She believes that the MCAS motivates students and believes there should be more focus on special education, as opposed to general education.
“I honestly feel like they shouldn’t change it. I feel it’s a way of knowing if a student learned or not. They barely pay attention in a classroom and you can’t just pass them,” Banks-Tillman said. “It’s a common thing for kids and teens getting out of high school. It gives you motivation. Will they stop testing in elementary then, too? They need to leave general education alone and focus on special needs because special needs kids aren’t going to college.”
Others like Susan Jemeison, a 68-year-old who voted in Roxbury, reminded Scope reporters that not all students learn in the same way, and standardized testing tries to fit students into boxes in a way that is not beneficial for their learning.
“I do think it has put kids in a box,” Jemeison said. “Kids are different, each one, and I think that standard on there is not allowing them to really work individually and to focus on each child’s progress.”
While MCAS is a main focus for many, the other ballot questions also have been widely debated.
Question 5 has stirred discussion across the state. As it stands now, the minimum wage for tipped workers in Massachusetts is $6.75 an hour. Question 5 would eliminate this and require companies to pay minimum wage workers at least $15 an hour. (Currently, if a tipped worker’s tips do not raise their hourly rate to a minimum of $15 an hour for each shift, the company has to cover that cost).
Kwan Tran, a chef who voted at the UP Academy polling location in South Boston, believes that this bill is too all-encompassing.
“I think Question 5 should have been two questions, one for restaurant workers, and another one for all the other industries with tipped employees,” Tran said. “I think it’s unnecessary for restaurants because we’re running on such a tight margin anyway.”
Emma Thomson, an unemployed Bostonian, agrees with Tran but sees the discussion on the bill being solely focused on restaurant workers.
“I think [Question 5] was initially meant to encompass all service workers, but 99% of the information out there was just focused on servers and the restaurant industry,” said Thomson.
Kimberly James, a 36-year-old property manager who voted at the Pauline Agassiz Shaw School in Dorchester, believes that the state needs to support tipped workers as the cost of living goes up.
“The cost of living is very high and that’s important to be able to support one another in whatever their jobs are,” James said. “People who do tipping and they don’t get tips and they only get $2, that doesn’t suffice what the cost of living is.”
Opinions on Question 4, which would allow legalizing psychedelic drugs for medical use, are divided. Some believe legalizing psychedelics could provide life-changing benefits, especially for mental health treatment. Others, however, are concerned about the commercialization of psychedelics, fearing it could mirror the marijuana industry’s profit-driven approach, which might lead to risks and exploitation.
This legalization would allow certain psychedelics — psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, ibogaine, and psilocybin — for medical use in Massachusetts. These substances could be used in licensed therapy centers or grown and used at home. Some say psilocybin shows promise for treating mental health conditions like anxiety in terminally ill patients, though other psychedelics are less studied.
While they offer potential benefits, they also pose risks, such as heart or neurological problems, according to some medical experts. Unlike marijuana, psychedelics wouldn’t be sold in stores, and therapy center treatments could be expensive. Although states like Colorado and Oregon have legalized some psychedelics, the federal government still classifies them as illegal, creating potential legal challenges.
Graham Moore, 32-years-old resident of Dorchester, shared his friend’s experience of struggling with mental health problems, and emphasized that psychedelic drugs can help those in need.
“My friend tried what she could, but it wasn’t enough. I don’t want anyone else to feel that same kind of helplessness,” he said. “These substances, which work quickly, can save lives. They can make a difference for people when they’re struggling the most,” he said.
Michael Byrnes, a 44-year-old resident of Dorchester, likes the idea that psychedelics could be used for clinical mental health research, as well as to help treat conditions like PTSD.
“I think that’s sort of exciting to be a state that’s going to potentially pioneer looking into psychedelics’ positive impact on people,” he said.
Andrew Abrahamson, a local homeowner and cyclist, disagreed due to his concerns about the potential commercialization of psychedelics.
“I voted against psilocybin because I’m concerned about…what I call the intersection of legality and capitalism,” he said. “I think that commercialization is problematic.”
