(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue) today issued the following statement concerning remarks made by State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia that individual schools could lose funding due to high numbers of students opting out of standardized tests:
“The state education commissioner’s remarks are outrageous. Rather than buying into the failed Common Core standards, she should see these opt-out numbers as a sign that our education system isn’t working. Instead of buying into and regurgitating these threats of punishment, she should pledge to work with our educators and parents in ensuring that our schools are not punished for pushing back against inappropriate over-testing.
“While the education commissioner thinks taking funding away from our schools is a good idea, I do not. That’s why I’m proud to be working with Congressman Lee Zeldin, who has introduced an education amendment that would prohibit federal funding from being withheld from states that choose to opt-out of Common Core. I’m proud to be working side by side with parents and educators to better understand their concerns and address them. I’m proud to stand with Assembly colleagues like Ed Ra, Al Graf and Dave McDonough, who have the guts to speak out and fight back against policies that are detrimental to our children’s future. We have every right to expect that same kind of fight from our Education Commissioner.”
