ALBANY, N.Y. Nov. 19, 2013 — New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi issued the following statement today following the Regents’ November meeting, in which the board failed to act on needed course corrections.
“It is disappointing that the Board of Regents met for two days and only superficially acknowledged the mounting frustration and anger among parents and educators over the state’s obsession with standardized testing and all that has gone wrong with the implementation of the Common Core.”
“While we support the recommended changes, there is a tremendous disconnect between the minor adjustments proposed by Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. and approved by the Regents, and the clamor by students, parents and educators for meaningful and major course corrections and a three-year moratorium on high-stakes consequences for students and teachers. There is perhaps no greater example of that disconnect than the State Education Department’s claim that state policies are not the driving force behind obsessive standardized testing but rather the result of local decisions. Trying to shift the blame to school districts that were attempting to follow SED’s own guidance once again will fool no one and will further erode confidence in SED decision-making. The growing calls for a moratorium while significant changes in implementation and assessment are undertaken must be heeded or the very standards the commissioner so vehemently supports will be lost.”
NYSUT, the state’s largest union, represents more than 600,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.