Get Answers On Education Initiative
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo announced he will hold a town hall meeting in Howard Beach next Thursday, Mar. 13, to gather feedback and recommendations from those concerned about the implementation of Common Core learning standards in New York State.
As announced, the session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. next Thursday at P.S. 232, the Walter Ward School, located at 153-23 83rd St. Addabbo previously held a town hall meeting on the topic on Feb. 20 at P.S. 317 in the Rockaways.
“Common Core has a noble goal: that of preparing all of our children for college and successful careers,” said Addabbo, a long-time member of the Senate Education Committee. “However, its implementation so far has been haphazard at best and nightmarish at worst, causing great concern and stress for children, families, teachers and other partners in our educational system. Changes need to be made, and I want to hear what my constituents think New York should do to reform the standards and change how they are being rolled out in schools across the state.”
The senator noted that a variety of issues are being raised with regard to the new federal standards, including privacy concerns; the efficacy and appropriateness of the standardized tests being used in conjunction with Common Core; whether testing in the younger grades should be eliminated, and the correlation between standardized test results and teacher and principal performance evaluations.
“We have a lot to talk about, and I invite interested constituents to join me at this town hall meeting for a comprehensive discussion about one of the most important education issues now confronting our children and our state as a whole,” said Addabbo.
For further information about the meeting, constituents may contact Addabbo’s Howard Beach district office at 1-718-738-1111.
