The 2015-2017 legislators will be sworn in on January 7, 2015 prior to the Governor’s State of the State. The new legislators haven’t been installed yet and I’m hearing the following chatter in Albany.
1. The Governor, some legislators and the Commissioner are lining up to make the teacher/principal accountability measures even more vigorous. Discussions are underway to include student and parent evaluations. They continue to disbelieve that a vast majority of educators are not only doing their jobs but go above and beyond for their students and community.
2. New Yorkers for a Balanced Albany, spent $4.4 million in the last election to promote, among other erroneous ideas, a push for more charter schools. This plays into the hands of the Governor and the Commissioner. We will ask for auditing accountability since there seems to be a serious problem with some charters.
3. The Commissioner’s unfunded mandates to Part 154, bilingual education, will cost millions of dollars across the State. The additional cost in some districts could add as much as $1.5 million to already stressed budgets. Districts in this category will be required to hire additional bilingual teachers, aides, clerical staff and a program administrator. The Commissioner has requested $14.5 million to implement his program. He has also requested the legislature to pass a bill exempting all staff for this program from lay-offs. For more information on this program see our website at www.casliny.com.
We are facing a very difficult year and the new legislators are not even seated yet.
More than ever we need your PAC donations. We need to stay on top of these issues and educate open minded legislators about the problems these issues will cost in quality education for our students.
Please send your $50. check made out to CAS/PAC to 490 Wheeler Road, Ste. 280, Hauppauge, NY 11788 or you can donate directly online at https://casliny.com/legislation/caspac-contributions/.
Thank you.
Anthony C. Laurino, CAS President
