(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and several of his Long Island Assembly Minority colleagues recently held their first public forum to address New York’s Common Core curriculum.
The legislators invited educators, parents and other stakeholders to share their experiences with the curriculum and standardized testing, in the hopes of better discerning whether or not these standards are causing our children to become discouraged and disinterested in their education.
Assemblyman Ed Ra (left) and Assemblyman Al Graf during their October 10 public forum on New York’s Common Core curriculum and standards.
“A lot of our children, families and educators are struggling to keep up due to the hurried and haphazard implementation of these new standardized tests and curriculum,” said Ra. “The much-needed input provided by our school officials and parents will prove crucial in our efforts to get the Department of Education to reevaluate their implementation of Common Core.”
The October 10 hearing, held at Suffolk Community College, was the first of two to be held on Long Island. The second will be held on October 24 at SUNY Old Westbury and several other are being planned statewide. Ra feels that the first forum was successful and the upcoming events have taken on even more importance in the wake of the state Department of Education canceling their statewide hearings addressing Common Core.
“I’m truly disheartened to hear that our state Department of Education cancelled their planned hearings on this topic,” said Ra. “There are scores of teachers, administrators and parents whose voices and insights are being ignored due to their cancellation.
“While the Department of Education may have cancelled their hearings, I plan on holding several more in the near future and I look forward to ensure we hear the voices of the people who deserve to be heard – the parents, educators and other stakeholders in our children’s education – not lawmakers and pundits.”
Topics to be covered at the next forum will include the components, implementation and evaluation of Common Core. The schedule for the events is as follows:
Thursday, October 24
4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
SUNY Old Westbury
Duane L. Jones Recital Hall
223 Store Hill Road, Old Westbury
Due to time constraints, it is strongly recommended that those wishing to present oral testimony at this forum pre-register by contacting the Assembly Minority Office of Public Affairs at 518-455-5073 or minpaff@assembly.state.ny.us. Written testimony is also being accepted as well as letters expressing the impact Common Core has had on your children and/or students. For more information, please contact Assemblyman Ra’s office at 516-535-4095.
