Senator Saland Honored By New York State School Boards Association

     Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C Poughkeepsie) was presented with the Senate Legislator of the Year by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) at their annual Legislative Conference, for his outstanding leadership on behalf of New York’s public school students. Senator Saland is currently the award’s only multiple recipient.

     "I am grateful for the long-standing support of the School Board Association, and am honored to accept this prestigious award," said Senator Saland. "I will continue to advocate on behalf of all New York’s students to ensure that they have access to the quality educational opportunities that they deserve."

     This year’s award honors Senator Saland for his efforts for requireing charter schools to be approved by local school boards, stopping theflow of unfunded mandates and the introduction of several bills that would mitigate the fiscal impact of existing charter schools on school districts. In addition, Senator Saland sponsored legislation to develop alternatives to the Regents examinations, reform Wicks Law, and streamline the reporting requirements for school districts.

     Senator Saland was first honored by the NYSSBA in 2000, for his efforts to establish procedures for reporting all instances of child abuse in an educational setting. It also authorizes school districts to fingerprint all potential employees and makes a criminal history screening a requirement for teacher certification.