Senator Flanagan To Host Hearings On State Education Policies

Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District), Chairman of the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Education, announced that the Education Committee will be holding a series of hearings to review the impact and effectiveness of recent state education reforms.

The hearings will be held throughout the State at the beginning of the school year with the first to be held on Long Island in September.  Following that meeting, Senator Flanagan will convene additional meetings in central and upstate New York and New York City.

The main focus of the hearings will be to review reforms embarked upon in 2010 by the New York State Board of Regents known as the Regents Reform Agenda.  This agenda was designed to prepare students for college and 21^st century careers, close the achievement gap and instill a lifelong love of learning in children.

As these reforms are implemented by the Board of Regents, questions and concerns continue to be raised about the impact these changes will have on students throughout the state.  While the reforms were initiated by the Board of Regents, it is critical to Senator Flanagan and the Education Committee that the State review the new policies and maintain an open dialogue about the future of state education policy.

The hearings will primarily focus on several major issues including state assessments, the implementation of common core state standards, and the protection of student privacy.

“With all the recent changes in education policy that our state has undertaken, it is important to know which policies are working well and which ones may need improving.  These hearings will provide the public with a thorough examination of current state education policies and the impact on our students.  This timely discussion will give parents the information they need and deserve and move the state education system forward in a positive direction for the benefit of our students,” stated Senator Flanagan.

Members of the public and the educational community are welcome to attend with oral testimony by invitation only.