FOR RELEASE: December 11, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

School board members overwhelmingly oppose the State Education Department’s plan to provide student data to a third-party vendor, according to the latest poll of New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) members.

Seventy-five percent of board members surveyed said they oppose sending data for New York students to inBloom, a data storage company that has a contract with the State Education Department to collect student information such as names, addresses, disability, attendance and suspensions. Thirteen percent said they support providing the data to inBloom, while 11 percent indicated they were not sure.

FOR RELEASE:   December 10, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

One year after the horrific shootings at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School, nearly six in 10 superintendents in New York say their schools are safer today than they were a year ago, according to the results of a survey by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

Fifty-nine percent of superintendents who responded to the survey said they believe their schools are “more safe” than they were a year ago. Another 39.5 percent said their districts were equally as safe as they were one year ago. Just .5 percent said their schools were less safe, while 1 percent were unsure.

FOR RELEASE:  November 26, 2013

During recent testimony on student privacy before the state Assembly Education Committee, NYSSBA Governmental Relations Director David Little referred to the concept of an “inBloom score.”  His intention was to present a hypothetical scenario of the possible ways in which student information could be misused in the future. His cautionary example of the “inBloom score” was meant to alert lawmakers to the unforeseen consequences of how student information that we collect today could be misused tomorrow.  NYSSBA does not support an “inBloom score” and certainly would never propose that such a score be created. 

FOR RELEASE:  November 21, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

School board members in New York overwhelmingly support eliminating double-testing of eighth-graders in math, according to a new poll by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

Eighty-four percent of board members believe the state should seek a waiver from the federal government to allow eighth-grade students who take the Regents Algebra 1 exam to skip the regular eighth-grade math test.  Twelve percent of respondents believe the state should not seek a waiver, while 4 percent were not sure.

Currently, eighth-grade students who take accelerated math are required by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) to take both the Regents Algebra 1 exam and the grade 8 mathematics exam. The state Board of Regents has authorized the state education commissioner to ask the USDOE for a waiver from the requirement.

FOR RELEASE:  October 30, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Lynne Lenhardt of Bethlehem, NY was elected president of the New York State School Boards Association. Her one-year term begins Jan. 1, 2014.

Lenhardt was elected Oct. 26 at NYSSBA’s Annual Business Meeting in Rochester. A total of 246 voting delegates participated in the meeting, which was held in conjunction with NYSSBA’s 94th Annual Convention & Education Expo attended by nearly 3,000 members of the education community.

NYSSBA provides advocacy, training and information to school boards in support of their mission to govern the state’s public schools. The NYSSBA board establishes policies to supervise, control and direct the business of the Association.

FOR RELEASE:  October 30, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Michael J. Masse, a 20-year school board veteran, has been named the 2013 President’s Award winner by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

The President’s Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions toward the betterment of public education in New York. 

 "In addition to his 20 years of service on the Fayetteville-Manlius school board, Mike has been NYSSBA’s lighthouse for fiduciary matters,” said NYSSBA President Thomas Nespeca, a member of the Webster school board near Rochester.  “He has been sensitive to our members’ financial situations. That is why I chose him for this year’s award.”

FOR RELEASE:  October 24, 2013

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

The results of this year's composite test scores for teachers and principals are encouraging.  We have always maintained that New York has some of the most dedicated and talented teachers in the nation.

FOR RELEASE:  October 16, 2013

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Approximately 2,500 school board members, superintendents and educators from across New York will arrive in Rochester next week for the New York State School Boards Association’s 94^th Annual Convention and Education Expo.

The three-day event is being held Oct. 24-26 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

The convention comes as New York schools implement a number of key education initiatives, including the Common Core Learning Standards and a new teacher evaluation system.  State Education Commissioner John King and a number of other experts will be on hand to address these initiatives.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Regents Reform Agenda: “Assessing” Our Progress

Testimony of David A. Little, Esq.
Director of Governmental Relations
New York State School Boards Association

To the
Standing Senate Committee on Education
October 1, 2013
Syracuse, New York

INTRODUCTION
Chairman Flanagan and distinguished members of the committee, I am David Little. For the past 14 years I have directed governmental relations on behalf of the nearly 700 boards of education that comprise the New York State School Boards Association. Prior to that time I had the honor of serving for 17 years as counsel in both the New York State Assembly and Senate. During that time I also served for a number of years (first) as a school board member, then as a school board president. These experiences have allowed me to form a broad perspective on our current educational circumstances. Today, I would like to offer this broader contextual perspective, safe in the knowledge that much of the information you glean from these hearings will be specific and operational in nature. I would refer you particularly to the testimony presented by Nassau BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Thomas Rogers for an excellent assessment of the impact of specific current policies and approaches.

TESTIMONY 10/1/13 627KB

FOR RELEASE: September 30, 2013

CONTACT: John Yagielski 
518-810-8382 (cell)
email: kyagiels@nycap.rr.com 

New York’s seven leading statewide education groups have come together to endorse a five-point plan to help all students and their schools meet the expectations of the new Common Core learning standards.

The Educational Conference Board (ECB), comprised of organizations that represent school boards, parents, superintendents, teachers, principals, business officials and other educators, has released a position paper entitled Common Ground on Common Core that outlines a plan to give students the support and resources they need to succeed under the state’s new Common Core learning standards.

Recent attention on student test scores, compliance with the new teacher and principal evaluation requirements, and recurring financial struggles has diverted resources and focus from student learning, the report states.

ECB Chair John Yagielski explained, “The Common Core learning standards are the right direction for our schools. These standards were designed to ensure that all students, regardless of where they live or what school they attend, are learning what they need to graduate from high school with the ability, not just to recite knowledge, but apply knowledge to real world challenges.”