News From SWW

June 4, 2002 - Legislation

To: Coalition for Common Sense in Education Members
      Performance Based Assessment Consotium Members
      Preservation of Quality Schools Coalition
      Other Concerned Educators
From: Dan Drmacich, Principal: School Without Walls
Re: Legislation

Today, June 4th, Bill Cala (Fairport Central Schools Superintendent), Tony Hoffman (Vice-Principal of NYC's International School) and I met with several NYS Senatorial Aides and Peter Appleby (the chief of staff for the Legislature's Education Committee) and came away with one major understanding of what we will have to assist with, if our goal for legislation to provide relief from high-stakes Regents Exams is to occur. The only realistic way to get this issue on any legislator's radar screen is through legislative hearings on the effectiveness of the current standards-based ed. reform plan. Fortunately, both chairs of the Joint Education Committee, (Assemblyman Steve Sanders and Senator Randy Kuhl) are interested in holding these hearings in the Fall. However, it's not a given that the hearings will happen unless they receive a good deal of requests or demands for them. This is where each of us can make a a difference by doing one or more of the following:

1. Calling or writing to both Sanders and Kuhl requesting that hearings on the effectiveness of the Mills Reform effort be held in the Fall around the state.
2. Getting several of your friends opr parents to do the same, and
3. Working on any organizations you belong to request these hearings, as well.

Even those organizations which support the Mills plan should have no fear of the hearings if they believe his system is working. They should be encouraged to request them as well. The major rationale for the hearings could be that it makes sense to hold hearings at this point to assess how well the reform plan is going, rather than waiting for several years.

• Senator Randy Kuhl: 518-455-2091
• Assemblyman Steve Sanders: 518-455-5506

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