Yesterday’s legislation to delay the application of Common Core to teacher evaluations and student promotion is a positive first step for New York’s students and teachers. However, it is only a step; more must be done to alleviate the stressful burden the system has placed upon our students and educators. I am especially pleased that the legislation begins to address the important concerns shared by parents across the state regarding the need to protect student privacy and ensure that data is not shared with third-party vendors.
With that said, my colleagues in the Assembly Republican Conference and I introduced a comprehensive amendment that would have tackled the actual curriculum concerns. Our proposal addressed concerns over special-needs children’s education, placed a moratorium on testing, and created a panel of educators to reevaluate some of the more troublesome components of Common Core. I believe this is the plan we need to enact, and that’s why I voted in favor of the amendment to do just that. Unfortunately, it was voted down in a hyper-partisan vote. We need to take this partisan attitude out of governing and put our kids before politics. While I supported yesterday’s legislation because it was a step in the right direction, it does not change my commitment to reforming the Common Core Standards further and providing our children with a quality education.
