For Immediate Release: May 19, 2015

Contact: Gary Ginsburg | ginsburg@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415

Senate Democratic Conference Unveils Legislation To Improve

Education System
Package addresses failures in this years budget and the Common Core rollout
(Albany, NY) The Senate Democratic Conference today announced the introduction of bills to
reform the states public school system and address the concerns raised by education
stakeholders due to the proposed changes made in the 2015 State Budget. The legislative
package will implement reforms to teacher evaluation system, increase fairness for student
assessments and provide support for community schools that offer wraparound social services.
Each member of the State Legislature has a constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure
that every child in New York State has access to a quality education, Senate Democratic
Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. The bills introduced by the Senate
Democratic Conference will help undo the damage caused by the rushed-through education
changes resulting from this years State Budget. The stakeholders in our states education system
have been clear, we need to stop over-testing students and demonizing teachers for the failings in
the public education system and finally address the root problems. The Senate Democratic
Conference will keep up the fight to improve our public education system and it is my hope that
under its new leadership, the Senate Republican Majority will join with us to make these
necessary reforms.
Senator George Latimer, Ranking Member on the Senate Education Committee, said,
Students, parents and educators across New York State have loudly voiced their concerns over
recent misguided education policies. The recent state budget and the Common Core rollout has
demonized hard working teachers, continues to overburden our kids with standardized tests and
has failed to adequately fund public schools in struggling communities. Its now time for the
State Senate Republicans to hear their voices and join with the Democratic Conference to pass
these needed bills to fulfill our Constitutional responsibilities and put our public education
system back on the right track.
Senator Marc Panepinto said, This is about fundamental fairness for our students and
flexibility for our teachers. It is a two-pronged step in the right direction. By more fairly
assessing students, we not only give them a fighting chance at a quality education, but provide a
more realistic determination of our teachers performance. The restoration of the locally
negotiated student achievement metric will reestablish equity in school districts across New

York State. Our diverse student population is part of what sets New York State apart - our
teachers recognize that best. Lets even the playing field for all.
Senator Gustavo Rivera said, Doubling down on standardized testing to determine the success
of both students and teachers, as well as the financial health of a school, is simply irresponsible
and ineffective. The education package being proposed today aims to reverse a number of the
changes made to our education system during this years budget in order to implement a lasting
and reasonable evaluations system, ensures our schools are appropriately funded and truly
improve the educational outcomes of our students.
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, I am proud to join my Democratic colleagues to introduce
this package of commonsense education bills. By evaluating our teachers on clear, rational
metrics and providing our students with the resources they need to succeed through the
Community Schools Grant Program and additional infrastructure funding, we will move our
education system forward in a sensible manner that serves teachers and students alike. Each of
these bills, including legislation to make the unfunded mandate of independent, outside teacher
evaluators optional instead of required, which I am pleased to sponsor, are critical improvements
we must make to our education system so that every child has access to an excellent education.
Introduced in the Senate Democratic Conference education package are bills that will:

Repeal a provision implemented in the 2015 State Budget that allows New York State to
withhold additional school aid from districts should they not have their Annual
Professional Performance Review Plans approved by the Commissioner of Education by
November 15, 2015.
o School districts will no longer be forced to choose between unreasonable
evaluation requirements and sufficient financial support from the state.

Implement an advisory council to review Annual Professional Performance Review

Plans

Restore use of the locally negotiated student achievement metric for teacher
evaluations and make it available to school districts as part of the optional supplemental
assessment subcomponent of the student performance category.
o The student achievement metric more fairly assesses children who are above
grade-level as well as students with special needs.
o Restoring this metric will make assessments more realistic and useful for school
districts to determine teachers performances.

Study the costs associated with statewide assessments of students in school districts
throughout New York State.
o This would provide an important analysis of how public resources are spent for
educational testing, curriculum building, graduation requirements and other
essential components to developing effective education policy.
o The information collected will help start a statewide conversation on how
taxpayer funds are distributed and utilized.

Establish the Community Schools Grant Program to fund community schools that offer
wraparound social services.
o This program would create high quality, culturally relevant curriculum, health,
social and emotional services in high needs communities, and then share the best
practices across the state and nation.
o The State Education Commissioner would be directed to award competitive grants
to eligible school districts to use existing school buildings as community hubs.
o Establish the Community Schools Grant Program to fund community schools
that offer wraparound social services.

Make the use of independent, outside evaluators optional instead of required

o The enacted 2015 State Budget imposed an unfunded mandate by requiring
school districts to utilize outside evaluators to observe and assess teachers.
o This legislation would reform that practice by making the use of outside
evaluators optional and not required.

The Senate Democratic Conference also called for $682 million in new settlement funds to be
invested in an education infrastructure bank. These funds will be utilized to pay for needs
associated with health and safety, accessibility, physical capacity and school construction
projects. This essential investment, which was left out of the enacted 2015 State Budget, will
help rebuild crumbling public schools across New York State and help create good local jobs.
Funds for this program will come from the states projected surplus and are separate from the
Smart Schools Bond Act.
Senator Neil Breslin said, There are only four weeks life to ensure New Yorks students receive
the quality education they deserve. Time is running out and we must act quickly. I urge all of my
colleagues to stand with us to pass these common sense education policies so students, schools,
teachers, and parents have the tools they need to succeed.
Senator Martin Malav Dilan said, The education reforms to come out of this years budget
were vague at best. Virtually every question worth asking went unanswered and the concerns
from parents and educators throughout the state were given little or no consideration. In the best
interests of enacting result-driven, goal-oriented education reforms we need to revisit much of
these proposals.
Senator Jesse Hamilton said, We need steps that treat teachers like the learned professionals
they are. Not as test proctors. Not as targets. And not as scapegoats. We need steps that lift up
community schools getting services to families so that every student begins the day prepared to
learn. Not hungry. Not worried about troubles at home. These steps represent the holistic vision
of education that New Yorkers deserve. A vision that takes into account parents working multiple
jobs, safety in the community, and the many factors beyond the schoolhouse doors that impact
student success. These measures get us the information we need to make informed policy
decisions, help students and families in need of support, and set up the systems to secure success
in our schools.

Senator Jose Peralta said, This years budget package included a series of rushed education
policies that did not address much needed policy reforms across the State. Plain and simple, we
should not be playing politics with our childrens education. The series of bills being introduced
today by the Senate Democratic Conference provide for meaningful measurements of success for
both educators and students. I extend my thanks to Leader Stewart-Cousins and all of my
Democratic colleagues for their leadership on this issue.
Jasmine Gripper, Legislative Coordinator for the Alliance for Quality Education, said,
Teachers, parents and students are tired of being used as political pawns. Its time to get back to
focusing on students and their learning. These bills are a step in the right direction for New
Yorks children and schools. Thanks to the leadership of the Senate Democrats for prioritizing
students, families and communities.
Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York, said, Students learning must be the
first priority in our schools. We thank the Senate Democrats for fighting against high-stakes
testing and in support of expanding community schools.
Peter McNally, Executive Director of the NYS Federation of School Administrators
(NYSFSA), said: These bills address many of the concerns on provisions of the SFY 2015-2016
State Budget and the APPR system. NYSFSA believes policymakers must embrace what is right
with education and move the accountability discussion beyond how heavily student testing is tied
to teacher and principal evaluations toward research based reforms that support student
achievement.
Andy Pallotta, Executive Vice President of New York State United Teachers, said, This
package of bills will provide welcome remedy for some of the serious flaws in state testing and
evaluation policy. It is a necessary step toward helping parents, educators and students reclaim
the joy of teaching and learning. We look forward to working with the Legislature to see that
these common sense, research-supported changes are enacted.
Kevin Casey, Executive Director of School Administrators Association of New York State
(SAANYS), said, SAANYS and the educational leaders we represent applaud any careful and
thoughtful analysis of student testing, professional evaluations, and the myriad of current
education policies that do not necessarily enhance student achievement. The decoupling of state
aid from APPR plans is critical and we encourage immediate action to get our schools the
support they need now.
Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers, said, This package of
legislation corrects many of Gov. Cuomos misguided budget ideas. It gives communities more
time to come up with a new evaluation plan, guarantees them extra state aid without strings
attached and brings some degree of sanity to the mess that is New Yorks standardized testing
program. It also enables schools to provide more services to children in school.
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