LaValle: Submit your Common Core questions now
Residents planning to comment or ask questions during the Nov. 26 public forum with New York Department of Education commissioner John King will need to contact their school district and make prior arrangements, according to staffers in state Senator Ken LaValle’s office.
While the forum will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, state officials said speakers will be chosen prior to the meeting.
Mr. LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) has asked local superintendents to meet with their school’s community members — including parents, students, teachers, and PTAs — to organize their comments and questions relating to Common Core State Standards and curriculum, teacher evaluations, standardized testing and student privacy, and submit them to his office by Thursday, Nov. 21.
“In light of our time constraints, questions will be reviewed ahead of time to eliminate duplication,” Mr. LaValle said in his letter. “Remember to keep any questions/comments to two minutes. Speakers will be chosen and notified ahead of time.”
Riverhead School District officials said Monday only one question from each school district will be allowed based on submittals, and a seat at the event will be reserved for each of the speakers chosen.
Mr. LaValle said the arrangement is needed because his legislative jurisdiction includes more than 30 school districts. The First Senatorial District contains the most amount of school districts on Long Island, he said.
In addition to the meeting being be held in the 1,000-seat auditorium located at Eastport-South Manor High School in Manorville, officials said there will be an “overflow room” where people can watch the forum via closed-circuit television. The event will also be live streamed on the senator’s website, www.senatorlavalle.com.
