Dear CAS Colleagues,
In January 2016 the state legislature will resume business in the days following Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address. In each of his previous State of the State messages, the Governor took on the mantel of the “education Governor”. In the 2015 session, he coupled education legislation to the budget, a tactic which held the budget hostage until his education agenda too was adopted. According to Senator Flanagan, majority leader in the Senate, this year the budget will not be tied to legislation.
The entire legislature will be up for election this year. In 2014 and 2015, with the opt out movement gaining momentum, three of the seven new state senators ran, and won, on a platform to stop Common Core. A number of legislators are beginning to question their own involvement in educational legislation.
Word on the streets of Albany is that to quell the opt out movement Common Core will be altered. I don’t know if altered is the correct word since the name will change along with modifications in testing time. If nothing further is changed, this would amount to form, not substance and appears to be nothing more than an attempt to change the negative connotations that have become attached to the infamous term “Common Core”.
Last year three people ran on the “Stop Common Core” ticket and won. We need to assist more like-minded legislators who realize that education should be left to the educators. Please email the following freshmen legislators expressing your support as a member of CAS.
Senator George Amedore – District 46
Albany, Greene, Montgomery, Schenectady, Ulster
Email: amedore@nysenate.gov
Senator Terrance Murphy – District 40
Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester
Email: murphy@nysenate.gov
Senator Robert Ortt – District 62
Monroe, Niagara, Orleans
Email: ortt@nysenate.gov
The 2016 election is crucial for education in New York State. When education bills are sponsored in the coming session, I will call on you to email specific legislators to apprise them of your views on Common Core and APPR.
Just as important is our CAS/PAC. If you have not signed up for dues deduction, please do so now. It’s only $50 a year. That’s less than $2.00 a pay check. You can also contribute through PayPal by going to our webpage at https://casliny.com/legislation/caspac-contributions/ or by sending a check to our office at:
CAS/PAC
490 Wheeler Road
Suite 280
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Thank you. Let’s all get in the game.
Sincerely,
Tony
Anthony C. Laurino
Legislative Liaison
