FOR RELEASE: January 9, 2024
Governor Hochul today presented a promising vision for the future of our students as they learn, grow and pursue healthy lives and careers in New York. School board members appreciate the governor’s recognition of public education as a foundational element in all that our students and our state aspire to achieve.
We thank Governor Hochul for her leadership to ensure full funding of foundation aid for schools and we look forward to schools continuing to be adequately funded under the next generation of the formula.
The governor’s recognition of the growing and multi-layered needs of our students for mental health treatment and support is most welcome. Our communities cannot address alone the mental health challenges our students face as they grow up in a world that often fuels anxiety, shame and social isolation through influences such as social media.
NYSSBA thanks the governor for her focus on building a strong system of clinics, peer support systems, community resources and professional development to expand our ability to address the mental health needs of students and all New Yorkers.
NYSSBA appreciates the governor’s emphasis on building our students’ literacy skills and her proposal to invest in training our teachers on best practices in teaching reading, as numerous school districts throughout the state are already doing. It can only benefit our students to learn from teachers who are well prepared to incorporate these best practices into local curriculum.
The governor’s ambitious vision for New York’s leadership in cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology carries with it a recognition that our students will need to be prepared to participate in this leadership. School board members are excited about the opportunities that will be available to our students who want to pursue advanced study and careers in these exciting and challenging new fields.