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Media ignore the big issues, focus on the trivial

Media ignore the big issues, focus on the trivial

Ray Flynn

This week, at a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City for Catholic high school seniors, I heard a student speak eloquently about faith being the greatest of all virtues. We then heard Cardinal Dolan in his homily talk about the persecution of innocent Christians in the Middle East by ISIS terrorists. I have been shocked by the near silence by world political leaders to the horrendous atrocities that have been taking place against Christians the past several years.

Later that day, while talking to a group of college professors, I told them what the Cardinal had said and also about what the high school senior had said earlier. One well known educator later said to me, "That didn't sound like a very upbeat message to give the students. The Cardinal could have encouraged them to achieve economic success." Several of the other academics in the gathering nodded in agreement.

Common Core is not a threat to history in Massachusetts
Massachusetts

Common Core is not a threat to history in Massachusetts

Robert Antonucci

There has been much discussion lately about the Common Core standards and their effect on education in Massachusetts. My knowledge comes from being an educator for more than 40 years, along with also having served as Massachusetts Education Commissioner. I've seen the benefits of learning based on Common Core standards, which actually improved upon prior standards, helping our students and teachers build the tools for stronger writing and more strategic mathematical skills.

The April 18 New Boston Post article "To bring back U.S. history, first repeal Common Core" is filled with many misconceptions and much misinformation about what Common Core in Massachusetts actually does. One very important thing to note is that the Commonwealth's State Board of Education unanimously adopted the most recent Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which include the Common Core state standards. Equally as important to note is that educators across Massachusetts helped adapt them for Massachusetts and very strongly support them.

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