Here is a link to the New York Common Core Task Force Final Report:

Dear NYSUT member,
Today we celebrate a significant breakthrough in public education.

Thanks to the dedicated, non-stop activism of NYSUT members in solidarity with parents, the era of test-and-punish is on its way out!

We are proud to share with you this week's major developments that open the door for a much-needed transformation in public education.
In a just-released report, the state's Common Core Task Force -- appointed by the governor -- is calling for:

• Empowering New York State teachers to create developmentally appropriate New York State standards for New York State students;
• Immediately reducing the time allotted to state tests, and making future reductions in both test duration and the number of testing days;
• Modifying the new state standards and tests for our students with disabilities and English language learners, and eliminating double testing for our English language learners; and
• Banning for a minimum of four years the use of state test scores in teacher evaluations.

In contrast to the state's failed implementation of the Common Core, the task force calls for the new standards and curriculum resources to be developed and implemented gradually -- with educator involvement every step of the way, and full transparency to parents.

The state Board of Regents is expected to vote in January on these recommendations, which would then immediately take effect.
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Meanwhile, after tireless advocacy by AFT and NEA, President Obama signed legislation yesterday that bars the federal government from mandating the use of student test scores to evaluate teachers.

These changes -- vital to end the high-stakes pressure that has eroded the joy of teaching and learning -- are the direct result of the dedicated activism of NYSUT members and parents.

THANK YOU for everything you have done: the rallies, forums, testimony, letters, e-blasts, protests and more. Your union called, and you answered.

We are grateful to each and every member, parent and activist whose passion and dedication on behalf of students has brought us to this moment. A sea change is underway in public education, both here in New York state and at the federal level. This is an amazing achievement -- and it is a shared achievement.

But make no mistake: We are not done.
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Now we must redouble our efforts to ensure these and other necessary and transformative changes are realized in every classroom across New York State.
As we press forward on all the vital priorities that remain, we are inspired by this belief:
Together, we can move mountains.


In solidarity:

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS DEC. 10, 2015

WASHINGTON — Putting an end to more than a decade of strict federal control of public education, President Obama on Thursday signed a sweeping rewrite of the No Child Left Behind act that returns power to states and local districts to determine how to improve troubled schools. click here for full NYTimes Article

Via PBS

Massachusetts, a state considered a leader in education reform, decided last week to reject student tests based on federal Common Core standards--tests still used in many other states. Instead, the state will develop its own exams to measure student progress. New York Times reporter Kate Zernike joins Alison Stewart with more.

 Nina Schutzman, Poughkeepsie Journal 5:46 p.m. EST November 17, 2015

Students in grades 3-8 spent double the time they're supposed to on state math and English Language Arts exams this year, according to a local study.

"We need to be concerned about the amount of instructional time that is lost, and resources diverted, in this process," researchers said. "When students are engaged in this testing process, they are not engaged in learning. And when teachers are engaged in this testing process, they are not engaged in teaching." click here for full article

By Valerie Strauss November 17  ​

On September 30, 2011, Carol Burris, then the award-winning principal of South Side High School in New York, wrote about the creation of a new New York State teacher and principal evaluation system in an Answer Sheet post titled, “The dangers of building a plane in the air.”  That piece, one of many about the system known as APPR, detailed the problems with the way New York State education officials were designing and intending to implement it — and she predicted that it would ultimately fail. Her predictions, not surprisingly, have now officially come true. click here for full Washington Post article

Via Politico New York

By KESHIA CLUKEY 6:18 a.m. | Nov. 12, 2015

ALBANY — Contrary to federal praise, New York State’s testing restrictions are confusing and have yet to prove themselves effective, according to some education officials and advocates. click here for full article

By KESHIA CLUKEY 7:50 p.m. | Nov. 3, 2015

​ALBANY — Abrupt meeting notices and inconvenient timing for parents and teachers could hamper Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Common Core task force as it attempts to gather information about the controversial standards, education advocates say. click here for full article Politico New York

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