BRINGING THE COMMON CORE TO LIFE
On April 28, the NYS Education Department hosted a statewide webinar with a leading author and architect of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), David Coleman. The purpose of this event was to help participants understand how the Core Standards for College and Career Readiness are building on the work New York State has done in developing a standards-based system. The meeting provided specific insight regarding the impact that CCSS will have on individual roles and responsibilities in improving NYS education and offered a framework for developing a common understanding of the most significant implications that the Standards have for instruction and assessment. To view the complete webinar go to http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/
Several members of NYSCEA attended the webinar both in person and via web. The association will be providing a forum for discussion of this important initiative as it develops.
MANDATE RELIEF
There have been on-going discussions between SED leadership and the Board of Regents regarding the possible elimination of various middle level mandates through what SED refers to as “Mandate Relief” or providing regulation flexibility to local school districts. These discussions have considered allowing local school districts to meet the current required 28 standards through integration of several standards with the content being taught in areas such as Math, Science, and English/Language Arts. While few doubt that interdisciplinary instruction is a valuable tool for improving education delivery, many argue that the current discussions run the risk of opening the door to elimination of the full opportunities of content rich academic programs. Lumping responsibility for many standards-based outcomes on the shoulders of content area teachers who are already working to capacity to meet content-specific standards as they prepare their students for high stakes assessment is ill-advised.
There is little doubt that the SED proposals under discussion have the potential to provide local districts with a means to reduce budgets for instructional expenditures by integrating and reducing programs and faculty. Informal reports from the field indicate that many districts have begun to positioning themselves to use “Mandate Relief” as a tool to save money rather than as a way to increase instructional flexibility. Thus, the proposed elimination of existing important instructional mandates could have far-reaching, intended and unintended consequences for all students and all content areas.
NYSCEA has been following these discussions closely and is working with member associations to strengthen the collective communication with SED and the Board of Regents. Input from the field is welcome. Contact President Elect David Arnone (darnone@NCOLONIE.ORG) with your comments and/or suggestions.
NYS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION RESIGNS
State Education Commissioner David Steiner has announced that he will resign later this year. Commissioner Steiner said that he was "immensely proud of the reforms we've achieved -- guiding New York's successful Race to the Top application, designing a new teacher and school leader evaluation system, reforming teacher preparation and certification and implementing a tough re-setting of our 3-8 tests…”
NYS Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch praised Steiner and said he was headed to "a role outside of state government where he can continue to champion reform." In a more contentious reflection, the Daily News (NYC), said that Commissioner Steiner was stepping down “to think big thoughts about school reform somewhere else… [i.e., Steiner] has had his fill of New York's politicized, bureaucratized, rubber-roomized factory of failed students and fat pensions.
Regardless of the reasons for leaving, NYSCEA thanks Commissioner Steiner for his service to NYS students, and we look forward with hope for the appointment of a world class educator to continue the leadership of our State Education Department.
NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL CHANCELLOR RESIGNS
New York City's embattled schools chancellor, former Hearst Magazines executive Cathie Black, resigned after just three months on the job. Ms. Black had become a target of criticism concerning her lack of education experience. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "We both agreed that the story had become her, and it should be about the students,"The decision to remove Ms. Black represents a rare step by Mr. Bloomberg, who takes pride in standing behind his appointees in the face of public criticism.
The mayor announced he would replace Ms. Black with Dennis M. Walcott, a seasoned and likable deputy mayor with deep education experience. Walcott, has served as Deputy Mayor since the beginning of the Bloomberg Administration and has been the mayor’s point person for all educational and youth policy issues. Walcott has worked as a member of the New York City Board of Education, a kindergarten teacher, and as an adjunct professor of social work at CUNY’s York College.
NYSCEA wishes Ms. Black the best in her future endeavors and welcomes Mr. Wolcott to his new position.
