FOR RELEASE: September 3, 2015                          

The New York State School Boards Association today urged parents, teachers, administrators and state education policymakers to put aside differences over opt outs, testing, Common Core and teacher evaluations. 

"The beginning of the school year should be a time of excitement and promise, as students begin to learn new subject matter, meet their new teachers, and get acquainted with their classmates," said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. 

FOR RELEASE: August 21, 2015

Barbara Mauro of Niskayuna has been elected to a two-year term as Area 7 Director of the New York State School Boards Association. In addition to her two-year term, which starts January 1, Mauro also will serve the final five months of Matt Wade's term.  Wade resigned from his position on July 31.

As Area 7 Director, Mauro represents school districts in Albany, Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties.

FOR RELEASE: August 12, 2015

Incremental progress is better than no progress, particularly during a period of tumultuous change in New York’s schools.

In the last five years alone, we have implemented rigorous learning standards, adopted controversial teacher and principal evaluation systems, and experienced increasing numbers of student test refusals.

FOR RELEASE: July 30, 2015

The federal government should play a less active role in how schools evaluate teachers, test students or adopt learning standards, according to a poll of school board members. 

"As Congress debates reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, most school board members across the state would like to see the federal government take a less aggressive role in public education at the state and local levels," said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. 

FOR RELEASE: July 20, 2015

Most school board members believe improving classroom instruction and school building management will be the most effective options available to a receiver to improve a low performing school, according to a recent poll by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA). 

State law now requires school districts to appoint "receivers" to assume managerial and operational control of 144 struggling schools for the 2015-16 school year. Receivers have the authority to make sweeping staffing changes, expand instructional time, and override decisions of the board of education.

FOR RELEASE: June 26, 2015

.

This year's difficult and lengthy legislative session will be remembered as a mixed bag of accomplishments and disappointments. 

We thank lawmakers for rejecting the education investment tax credit and avoiding an increase in the charter school cap. Both proposals would have been damaging to the state's public schools, which serve the vast majority of students. 

We congratulate MaryEllen Elia on her appointment as education commissioner. 

New York's public schools need a leader who can reconcile opposing views among stakeholders over controversial issues, navigate the political complexities of the legislative process, and work with the Board of Regents to forge cogent policies that will make New York's education system student-focused.

We are encouraged by the academic gains Ms. Elia helped bring about in Florida's Hillsborough County school system during her tenure as a teacher and administrator. We look forward to working with her.

Robert Vecchio, school board president of the William Floyd Union Free School District in Suffolk County, was named the first-ever Champion for Change Award winner, an honor given by The New York School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

“The NYSSBA Champion for Change is a champion for children who fosters creative change that enriches educational opportunities and inspires other school board members to make similar or even greater contributions,” said NYSSBA President Lynne Lenhardt. “Bob Vecchio is a role model for future school board members.”

Vecchio has served on the William Floyd Union Free School District School Board since 2003 and as president for the past nine years. He is also a member of the Legislative and Executive Committee of the Nassau Suffolk School Board Association.

New York State voters approved an overwhelming 98.6 percent of school district budgets on Tuesday, May 19, according to an analysis by the New York State School Boards Association.

“Today is a good day for public education. School districts put forth budgets that will provide students in their communities with high-quality educational opportunities next year,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. “The combination of sound budgeting by school boards and a healthy state aid increase allowed many school districts to restore programs and positions while having a negligible impact on their local tax levies.”

Initial statewide results gathered by NYSSBA indicate voters passed 654 school district budgets. The number of budgets defeated was nine. NYSSBA was still awaiting results for 13 districts.