FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2013
More
information contact:
Eric
Mihelbergel (716) 553-1123; nys.allies@gmail.com
Senator Flanagan’s
Proposed Legislation Insult to the People of New York
During the past few months, Senator John
Flanagan of Long Island held a series of hearings across the state entitled,
“The Regents Reform Agenda: Assessing our Progress”. Senator Flanagan,
his colleagues and members of the State Education Department listened to a
steady stream of concerned citizens express their grave concerns regarding the
implementation of Common Core, high stakes testing, APPR, and student data
sharing. The overwhelming majority of speakers were very critical of the
performance of the New York State Education Department, and the leadership of
Commissioner John King and Chancellor Merryl Tisch.
Yesterday, December 12, 2013, Senator
Flanagan released his findings along with proposed legislation: (http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/nys-education-chairman-flanagan-calls-immediate-sed-action-common-core-and-unveils-pac). Unfortunately,
the four bills fall completely short of addressing parent concerns.
Bianca Tanis, New Paltz public school
parent and Founding Member of NYS Allies for Public Education says, "These
bills fall short of the mark. I am sorely disappointed by the lack of
protection afforded to students. The bills do not address the concerns of
nearly all who took the time to attend, speak out, and testify.”
According to Carol Burris, Ed.D. principal
of South Side High School in Rockville Centre New York, “The P-2 Senate bill
S6006 http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S6006-2013
appears to be an attempt to blame schools for the extra testing caused by the
teacher evaluation system mandated by the legislature. It allows schools to
re-write APPR plans to exclude pre-tests, but such pre-tests were given in the
fall. Its passage this spring would have little to no impact on students.
Second, it does not relieve schools of the obligation to incorporate student
achievement in teacher evaluations and provides no valid or reliable
alternative measure.”
The Unnecessary Testing Senate Bill S6008 http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S6008-2013
also does not address the serious concerns raised by parents regarding
standardized testing and young children. The bill allows schools to test pre-K
to grade 2 students, using "BOCES or regionally developed assessments that
are rigorous and comparable across classrooms." Such tests, as described,
meet the definition of a standardized tests. “Ironically, S6008 both bans and
encourages standardized testing at the same time,” says Jeanette Deutermann,
Bellmore public school parent and Founder of Long Island Opt-Out (of testing)
group. Deutermann further states, “There will be an explosion the number
parent refusing the state tests.”
Lisa Rudley, Ossining public school parent
and Founding Member of NYS Allies for Public Education says, “The Privacy
Protection Bill S6007 http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S6007-2013
would not stop the state from sending students’ sensitive data to inBloom, nor
does it allow for parents the option of “opting out” – even though 78% of the
New York school board members in a recent survey said parents should have that
right. It does however, add another level of bureaucracy by calling
for a “Chief Privacy Officer” under the control of the Commissioner – who has
shown he has no respect for parent rights or student privacy – and calls for
penalties to be issued, but only after data breaches have occurred. The Senator
missed the mark on parental rights.” Rudley further says, “Making the
Commissioner of Education essentially responsible for the “Parents Bill of
Rights” further indicates that our explicit concerns in trusting Commissioner
King were ignored.”
Although we applaud a serious review of the
testing system in the Truth-In-Testing Senate Bill S6009 http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S6009-2013,
however, until an objective, in-depth audit is conducted, Common Core testing
should be suspended. “Parents do not need an audit to know that their
young children are being subjected to too much testing and test preparation.
The audit could be conducted using 2013 testing conditions, items and results”
said, Tim Farley, a parent and a principal of the Ichabod Crane School in
Kinderhook, New York.
NYS Allies for Public Education are deeply
disappointed that the Senator did not propose meaningful legislation that
addresses the problems created by the hastily enacted Regents Reform Agenda.
Parental trust in our New York State leaders is rapidly eroding.
New York State Allies for Public
Education represents
forty-five grassroots parent groups from every corner of the Empire State. The
organizations are proud to stand with the parents, community members and fellow
educators in NYSAPE to call for a change in direction and policy beginning with
new leadership at the New York State Education Department.
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