ESSAA CAS Stakeholder Meeting Summaries

 See what’s happening through your seat at the table with NYSED policymakers this month:

In this issue:

Issues pertaining to the rollout of the Portrait of a Graduate, the need for increased certification flexibility to address the growing teacher shortage in several areas

Summary of November 2025 Stakeholders Meeting

The Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association (ESSAA)held their monthly Stakeholder Meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2025 via videoconference. Participants representing NYSED included Commissioner of Education, Betty Rosa; Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy, Jeffrey Matteson; and Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Educational Policy, David Frank.

ESSAA was represented at the meeting by Executive Director, Mike Starvaggi; Vice President John Rickert; Director for Professional Learning, Eva Jones; Vice President for Professional Development, Shelley Baldwin-Nye; Regents/NYSED Liaison, Paul Scampini; and ESSAA Delegates, Jennifer Martino, Vince DiGrandi, Luke Sotherden, and Doug Cronk.

This month’s discussion focused primarily on two items:

1. Issues pertaining to the rollout of the Portrait of a Graduate
2. The need for Increased certification flexibility to address the growing teacher shortage in several areas

Our discussion began with questions relating to the rollout of thePortrait of a Graduate initiative. ESSAA Director of Professional Learning, Eva Jones, asked about funding, plans for teacher and administrator training, and how implementation timelines and expectations will be communicated. Ms. Jones went on to say that ESSAA would welcome the opportunity to partner with NYSED in developing the training and professional development associated with the rollout. Commissioner Rosa responded that NYSED is currently in conversations with many stakeholder groups along with BOCES district superintendents and that more specific information will be forthcoming in the near future. With regards to the professional development aspects of the rollout, the Commissioner stated she anticipates the Regional BOCES will play a key role in the training of teachers and administrators.

In an effort to gain more clarity on this topic, Mr. Scampini cited the example of the new Financial Literacy/Climate Change course requirements which were introduced at the November Board of Regents meeting. Mr. Scampini noted that some of the requirements

associated with these courses go into effect for the 2026-2027 school year, and that schools

need to begin the planning process for implementation. Commissioner Rosa responded that NYSED representatives are currently visiting districts around the state that already offer these courses to gather information. She went on to express that, rather than reinvent the wheel, they are hoping to build on current best practices and work with community partners to support the implementation of the new courses.

Deputy Commissioner Matteson went on to express that he feels NYSED is providing a great deal of flexibility with how the newly required courses are delivered. He emphasized that both the Financial Literacy and Climate Change instructional requirements can be met three different ways: through a stand-alone course, through embedded instruction as part of a course that is already offered, or through a CTE course. The specific certification or training requirements to be eligible to teach either Financial Literacy or Climate Change are not yet clear. It does appear, however, that if the material is embedded as part of an existing course, that no additional certification will be required for the instructor.

Ms. Jones asked about how educators can access any available resources that could provide initial guidance with rubrics or standards associated with the new course

requirements. Deputy Commissioner Matteson responded that, while the amendment which formally establishes the new course requirements was presented at the November Board of Regents meeting, it has not yet been formally adopted. It is anticipated that the new courses will be approved at the March 2026 Board of Regents meeting and curricular resources will begin to be made available shortly thereafter. Deputy Commissioner Frank suggested that, during the period prior to the March meeting, educators can contact Assistant Commissioner for the NYSED Office of Standards and Instruction, Dr. Santosha Oliver, santosha.oliver@nysed.gov with any questions.

Below you will find the link to the proposed Financial Literacy/Climate Change amendment and the slide presentation that was presented during the November Board of Regents meeting. The links include the implementation timeline for both courses at all grade levels.

Proposed amendment – https://www.regents.nysed.gov/sites/regents/files/1125p12d1.pdf

Slide Presentation – https://www.regents.nysed.gov/sites/regents/files/P12 – Proposed Instructional Requirement Climate Education Personal Finance Education.pdf

A second topic addressed briefly during the meeting, focused on the ongoing shortage of certified teachers in high need areas. Several ESSAA representatives stressed the need for additional certification flexibilities to increase the pool of available candidates. Assistant Commissioner Frank reviewed the steps NYSED has taken in recent years to address the situation, and acknowledged there are still significant shortages of qualified candidates especially in areas such as CTE, special education and foreign languages. Both the Assistant Commissioner and Commissioner Rosa expressed that they are continuing to look for ways to expand the pool of qualified teachers in the needed areas.

ESSAA Members:

If you have any feedback on the foregoing issues or would like to suggest a topic to be addressed with the Commissioner at an upcoming meeting, please e-mail us

at info@essaa.org. New topics will be submitted to our Stakeholder Committee for consideration.