ALBANY, N.Y. Dec. 12, 2013 - New York State United Teachers said today Sen. John Flanagan’s report validates the concerns that students, parents and educators have expressed about the state’s obsession with standardized testing, threats to privacy and the State Education Department’s failure to correctly implement the Common Core standards and testing.
"Clearly, the voices of students, parents and educators are being heard," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "The rising anger and frustration in communities and schools resulting from a rushed and poor implementation plan, misguided timing and obsession with testing must now be addressed through significant policy changes, a stronger state investment and acknowledgement that the major course corrections that are necessary will take additional time. New York state must pause, approve a three-year moratorium on high-stakes consequences from testing, and put real energy into getting it right – for the sake of our students, educators and communities."
NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta said the report and recommendations stemming from the hearings are a starting point. "When the Legislature returns to Albany in January, we look forward to working with the governor and Legislature to craft thoughtful legislation that addresses the significant flaws in the state’s implementation plan and allows the work to move forward during a transition period."
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members. Members are pre-K-12 teachers; school-related professionals; higher education faculty; other professionals in education, human services and health care; and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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