Many students have been struggling to learn and take in the information needed to pass MCAS due to remote learning. Not only has this pandemic taken a toll on learning but it has also taken a toll on many students mental health. Standardized testing is already stressful enough, let alone having to take it in the middle of a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Many students don’t feel that they are ready or confident enough with their skills to pass the test. Worcester Public Schools and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education should be able to realize that our health is much more important than a test. With covid cases rising and the risk of getting the virus becoming greater, families shouldn’t have to worry about their students having to go into school to take a test and possibly getting the virus. The health of students and teachers should be valued more than the school system is making it seem. Just as the Amherst-Pelham school board is calling on the state to wave MCAS requirements for the next 3 years, Worcester Public Schools and every other district in Massachusetts should do the same. Our health is more important than test scores.