320 West 13
th
StreetNew York, NY 10014Tel: 212-645-5110Fax: 212-645-7409
May 31, 2011Fellow New Yorkers:As part of a broader cost-saving measure, New York State is in the process of eliminating theJanuary Regents examinations for high school students starting next year. As principals whoseat-risk students will be adversely affected by the State’s decision, we urge the re-instatement of this test. There is no question that it is critical for state officials to find cost-savings in theeducation budget. Yet, this cutback—which will save a meager $1.4 million out of $19.4 billionin school aid—will not only have profoundly harmful short- and long-term consequences for thechildren in our schools but will, in fact, cost the State of New York money in terms of a higherdrop-out rate.The Regents are not perfect exams, and the Board of Regents has publicly committed to improvethem to align with the recently adopted Common Core standards. However, at present, theJanuary administration of Regents exams serves as an important academic scaffold for tens of thousands of students. Students who are struggling rely on the January tests to enhance theirlevel of preparedness and increase their chances of passing future exams. In addition, the timingof the January Regents exam offers students the significant advantage of taking the exam duringthe middle of the academic year, when their skills and motivation are sharpest. The January testdate also helps relieve students’ stress of preparing for multiple tests during the June and Augusttesting periods.The failure to administer Regents in January will have a real and devastating impact on ourstudents, particularly those already at risk of academic failure. Data from just 62 schoolsworking with New Visions for Public Schools shows that in this past January’s exam period,students took over 27,000 exams. Extrapolated citywide, the number of Regents taken duringthe January cycle is likely in the tens of thousands.Any cost-savings are illusory or short-sighted at best. More students will likely fail the June andAugust exams if the January exams are taken away. A rise in the rate of students who fail theRegents will have disastrous consequences not only for our students, but also for the stateeconomy. Students who fail will face two options: stay in school additional semesters toaccumulate the Regents they need to graduate (adding to school costs), or simply drop out. Weknow too well the negative costs associated with a higher drop-out rate. At a time when New
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York City teachers and principals are making strides in reducing the drop-out rate, particularlyfor low-income black and Latino students, it is inconceivable that the New York State legislatureand Governor Cuomo would allow a policy that would reverse these hard-won gains.We hereby urge the State to fund the administration of the January 2012 Regents examinationand continue to develop better assessments of what our students need to know for success in the21
st
century.Sincerely,Beshir Abdellatif, Khalil Gibran International AcademyWalter G. Acham, Jamaica High SchoolOsei Owusu Afriyie, Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary SchoolJames Anderson, FDNY High School for Fire and Life SafetyBernardo Ascona, Washington Irving High SchoolMichael Barakat, Bronx High School for Law and Community ServiceJohn Barnes, Bronx Early College AcademyStella M. Boghosian, Educator, Hillcrest High SchoolAlisa Berger, NYC iSchoolJoseph J. Birgeles, Robert H. Goddard High School for Communication Arts & TechnologyCarlos Borrero, High School for Community LeadershipRod Bowen, The DreamYard Preparatory SchoolAlthea Bradshaw-Tyson, The Young Women’s Leadership SchoolMary Brouder,
Automotive High SchoolBridgit Claire Bye, Pan American High School at Monroe
Katherin Callaghan, Bronx Leadership Academy II High SchoolMigdalia Carrillo, International School for Liberal ArtsTy Cesene, Bronx Arena High SchoolAlona Cohen, Brooklyn Frontiers HSLeba Collins-Augone, Foreign Language Academy of Global Studies H.S.Scott Conti, New Design High SchoolHelen M. Corchado (retired)Rashid Davis, Pathways in Technology Early College High SchoolFrances De Sanctis, Richmond Hill High SchoolDenise DiCarlo, Gramercy Arts High SchoolJaime Anne Dubei, Queens CollegiateStephen Duch, Hillcrest High SchoolMark Dunetz, Academy for Careers in Television and FilmDeborah Effinger, Bronx Theatre High SchoolAnne Fennelly, Jill Chaifetz Transfer High SchoolRhokeisha Ford, Academy for Social ActionCynthia Fowlkes, Academy of Innovative TechnologyLisa Fuentes, Columbus High SchoolMara Ganeles, New Day AcademyTim Gannon, Port Richmond High SchoolLouis Garcia, South Brooklyn Community High School
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Kenneth Gaskins Jr., Bronx Leadership Academy High SchoolLisa Gioe, Millennium Brooklyn High SchoolJoshua Good, Brooklyn Theatre Arts High SchoolRonald Gorsky, Concord High SchoolAvionne Gumbs, Young Women’s Leadership School - QueensRobert Hall, Arts and Media PrepSheila Hanley, International Arts Business SchoolEstelle Hans, Collegiate Institute for Math and ScienceRoberto Hernandez, Grace Dodge Career and Technical High SchoolFernando Herrera, Assistant Principal, Grover Cleveland High SchoolMaria Herrera, Renaissance High School for Musical Theatre and TechnologyBrooke Jackson, NYC Lab SchoolSandye Johnson, Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social ChangeHazel Joseph-Roseboro, University Heights High SchoolLeonard Kassan, High School for Service and LearningMelody Kellogg, Emma Lazarus High School for English Language ScholarsJoan Klingsberg, Voyages PreparatoryKirsten Larson, Marble Hill School for International StudiesApril Leong, Liberation Diploma Plus High SchoolLisa Luft, John F. Kennedy High SchoolNancy Mann, Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High SchoolHarris Marmor, High School for Health Careers and SciencesTamika Matheson, Frederick Douglass Academy VII High SchoolWinston McCarthy, North Queens Community High SchoolPatrick McGillicuddy, East Brooklyn Community High SchoolThomas McKenna, Brooklyn Democracy Academy K643Adaleza Michelena, High School for Innovation in Advertising and MediaJoyce Mills-Kittrell, Samuel Gompers CTE High SchoolWilper Morales, West Bronx Academy for the FutureRamon Namnum, High School of World CulturesSana Q. Nasser, Harry S. Truman High SchoolPhuong Nguyen, Civic Leadership AcademyLori O’Mara, David A. Stein Riverdale Kingsbridge AcademyTaeko Onishi, Lyons Community SchoolCharles Osewalt, Principal Morris Academy for Collaborative StudiesMax Jean-Paul, Brooklyn Bridge AcademyPanorea Panagiosoulis, Knowledge and Power Preparatory AcademyAaron Perez, William C. Bryant High SchoolLiliana Polo, West Brooklyn Community High SchoolMarie A. Prendergast, HS for Youth and Community DevelopmentGaylea Prichard-Silvers, International High School at Union SquarePamela Randazzo, Brooklyn School of Music and TheatreRobert Rhodes, Millennium High SchoolRolando Rivera, Discovery High SchoolReginald Richardson, Performing Arts and Technology High SchoolMiriam Rivas, Bronx Health Sciences High School
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