Cuomo’s Common Core panel releases preliminary recommendations
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday his newly formed Common Core Implementation Panel has released its preliminary recommendations on how the the state could improve rolling out new academic standards within New York public schools.
Mr. Cuomo said in a press release that some of the recommendations include: ensuring state Common Core test results in grades 3-8 aren’t included in students’ permanent records, reducing over-testing, and ending the state Department of Education’s data initiative with inBloom.
The panel does not, however, make any recommendation to halt or slow the new teacher evaluation process, he said.
“The flawed implementation of the Common Core curriculum has resulted in frustration, anxiety, and confusion for children and parents,” Mr. Cuomo said. “It is in everyone’s best interest to have high, real world standards for learning and to support the Common Core curriculum, but we need to make sure that our students are not unfairly harmed by its implementation. The recommendations released by the Common Core Implementation Panel today seek to achieve this goal.”
The announcement comes about a month after Mr. Cuomo appointed 11 people to serve on the panel.
Separate from that panel, a different working group recently decided the state should delay tougher, Common Core-aligned high school graduation requirements by five years.
As for Monday’s announcement, state Senator John Flanagan (R-East Northport), who served on the governor’s panel, said in Mr. Cuomo’s press release that he believes the latest recommendations will “guide an overhaul of how the standards are implemented and reform the system in a way that benefits students, parents, educators, and the public.”
“It is abundantly clear from the many public hearings and forums that have been held that Common Core implementation needs to be fixed,” said Mr. Flanagan, who held several public forums throughout the state last year and recently sponsored legislation to change the education department’s current direction with achieving Common Core standards.
“The new learning standards in New York are laudable ones, but it is critically important that any issues and concerns related to their implementation are quickly addressed and in a meaningful manner, and I believe the recommendations we issued today help to accomplish that goal,” he added.
The governor is expected to review the panel’s findings with the state Senate and Assembly.
Click here to visit the state’s website to view the complete report.
