“It seems as though the governor hasn’t been listening to what has been going on throughout New York State,” she said. “With his increased emphasis on standardized testing, it has caused teachers’ unions to speak out against his reforms that parents have been in an uproar about for the past couple of years. Many more teachers and school district employees have become vocal about the current state of education and are starting to come out of the shadows and not fear the repercussions of speaking out from their districts.”
The governor’s reform agenda is also making waves elsewhere, with a critical open letter penned by seven New York State Teachers of the Year and published in the Albany Times Union being widely circulated through social and traditional media. “Education is our life,” closes the opening paragraph. “For this, you have made us the enemy. This is personal.” The letter touches on many of the same points as KAFE’s statement, and it further suggests that the governor’s reforms aren’t likely to succeed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (Photo by Phyllis McCabe)
“Merit pay, charter schools and increased scrutiny of teachers won’t work because they fundamentally misdiagnose the problem,” reads the letter. “It’s not that teachers or schools are horrible. Rather, the problem is that students with an achievement gap also have an income gap, a health-care gap, a housing gap, a family gap and a safety gap, just to name a few. If we truly want to improve educational outcomes, these are the real issues that must be addressed.”
For Maritsas, the increased emphasis on high stakes testing is of the utmost concern.
“I am a parent of a classified student and [Governor Cuomo’s] proposal does not take into consideration children’s level of ability within the high-stakes testing environment,” she said. “Children who are not functioning at grade level, who are working with goals set on their IEPs, also not grade level, are forced to take exams well above their level of functioning. It is unfair not only for the children who have to take these exams above their functioning but also unfair for the teachers who choose to work with the most needy of students to have their evaluation be based 50 percent on the outcome of one test.”
Safron agreed.
“That is what I see as the area that directly causes so much pain to many kids and is driving so much of the damage that is being done in our schools,” she said. “I am incredibly concerned about Common Core as a whole, and I do view Common Core as a whole package with the standards and the testing and the teacher appraisal system. If it’s raised to 50 percent, they can’t help but teach to the test. That test is going to be the deciding determinant of their job.”
Some parents and educators are optimistic that there may be further discussion and a greater sense of local unification as a result of the governor’s reform agenda, along with the withholding of state aid runs and the increased opposition to the Gap Elimination Adjustment, enacted in the 2010-11 fiscal year to help close New York’s budget deficit. Under the GEA, a portion of the state’s funding shortfall is divided among all school districts in the state based on a formula and each district’s state aid is reduced accordingly. According to a September 2014 report by New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the Kingston City School District has lost out on an estimated $31 million over the past five years.
“It is my hope that school districts and opponents of the reform draw closer together throughout this process,” said Maritsas. “We may not agree on everything, but both sides need to come together as one and work towards what is best for our children and the district. The end result is ultimately the same, the best education for students with fair funding for our district.”
But while conversations are happening locally, some members of KAFE feel the best way of getting their voices heard further up the chain is through action. Safron said she was hoping parents of students in grades 3-8 will opt out of standardized tests planned for April of this year.
“If we can stop the data that is being harvested from our kids, if we stop that pipeline, it’s our only hope to make change. Because we are being ignored. It feels like we are being pushed to drastic extremes. We have to act this year. With everything Governor Cuomo is doing and the direction he’s taking, we can’t continue this way in New York.”
Cuomo, and branches of government in Albany, including NYSED, the Board of Regents and the New York State legislature have been repeatedly dismissive of parental concerns over education reforms in New York State. Governor Cuomo only listens to those select few who can fill his campaign coffers and ignores the very valid concerns of the people of New York State. Cuomo showed his true colors when he vetoed his own bill that would ease just a little of the pressure placed on our children by these misguided policies. And, he left this bill languishing on his desk until after his election. This is not the correct way to lead, this is the behavior of a despot.
Thank you for such in depth coverage of such an important issue. High stakes testing diminishes critical learning time, narrows the curriculum and costs our schools millions of dollars in unfunded test related mandates.
Parents need to refuse these tests for their children, and we still need to stop common core. To many good teachers are leaving because of testing, and the common core. We see the harm being done to our children, as do the teachers. Cuomo is not an educator, or a parent who has children subjected to common core and testing. He needs to listen to parents and teachers. We will not stop fighting the take over of our schools. Join a stop common core group and let your voice be heard.
Dead on. In essence stripping schools of money, staffing, flipping the entire structure of our schools systems upside down with untested , evidence lacking reforms and then hammering away at teachers, parents and children because test scores aren’t better. It’s nothing short of insanity. Even if viewed in a business light which I’m loathe to do, no successful business would ever embark on all of these highly disruptive practices simultaneously as it would be to invite disaster. It has not only invited disaster it has asked it to stay. The train needs to stop before the damage is irreparable.
I thank the Kingston Times and the KAFE Kingston Action For Education for writing an article that really causes parents to rethink our role in the reformation of education in Kingston, Ulster County and New York State. I even appreciate Dr. Paul Padalino for starting to speak up for children and teachers. I hope in the future he shows increased respect and collaboration with the parents who are trying desperately to advocate for our children and all public school children.
There is a forum tomorrow night at 6:30 pm Monday February 23, 2015 at Miller Middle School. We need as many adults as possible to speak up for education and here is our opportunity to come together as a county. I applaud the professionalism of this article and ask you to continue the discussion if not weekly but monthly. In May we need one vote for every child. In the meantime please write, call, e-mail or visit our assemblyman, senator and congressman who can help slow down or halt this terrible implementation of common core and reform. But especially ask our governor to release the financial data. We the taxpayers do not need the burden of lack of state funding. They have a surplus and have been borrowing from the children for over 5 years. Please help to get the system back on track. Thank you.
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