BY STATE SEN. TOBY ANN STAVISKY
The clock is ticking on this year’s legislative session and one of the most important issues that still must be addressed is public education. Two weeks ago, my Senate Democratic colleagues and I introduced a comprehensive package of bills to resolve the many issues that arose because of the Common Core’s rushed implementation and a faulty Education Budget bill.
Within our legislative package is a bill that I am proud to sponsor, which would make the use of an independent, outside evaluator optional instead of required as written in this year’s budget. This unfunded mandate is one of the reasons that I voted against the Education Budget, which I believe unfairly demonized good teachers and did not go far enough to support students.
That is why I am proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues behind these bills which would restore school construction funding and fair teacher evaluation polices that the budget was missing. Highlights of this legislative package include the following:
• Improved teacher evaluations that would make them more equitable by restoring use of the locally negotiated “student achievement metric,” which more fairly assesses children who are above grade level as well as students with special needs
• Repeal of a provision that allows the state to withhold additional school aid from districts should they not have their “Annual Professional Performance Review Plans” approved by the commissioner of education by Nov. 15, 2015
• An Education Infrastructure Bank to rebuild crumbling public schools across New York State and help create good local jobs by investing $682 million from bank settlement funds paid to the state
• Creation of the “Community Schools Grant Program” to fund community schools that also offer social services to fund culturally relevant health, social and emotional services in high-needs communities
My colleagues and I have also been lobbying for Senate hearings on mayoral control—a move toward transparency that the Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked. I believe mayoral control must be extended, but also improved to include more local input on issues like co-locations and more parental involvement.
These are the reforms we must pass to improve public education—not penalizing teachers with unfair evaluations, not over-testing students, and not taking away public education for all to fund private education for the few. These are the constructive, thoughtful changes we must implement to move our education system forward.
I hope you will join the Senate Democratic Conference and me to support these bills and the idea that every child in New York, regardless of where they are from or how much money their parents make, deserves an excellent education.
Senator Stavisky represents the 16th Senatorial District, which represents parts of neighborhoods across central and eastern Queens.
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