Murphy declares victory for NY children, Common Core headed out of NY

JEFFERSON VALLEY, NY - State Senator Terrence Murphy released the following statement regarding the future of common core in New York following the release of recommendations by Governor Cuomo's Common Core Task Force:

I came to Albany with the goal of ending the flawed education system known as Common Core. Recent events have brought us a step closer.

As a father of three public school children, I have witnessed firsthand the path our schools were heading in and knew something needed to be done. Working with my fellow parents, local teachers, administrators, and most importantly our kids, I led the charge to dismantle this failing system.  Along with my colleagues we required a review of the standards to ensure they were grade appropriate and I even introduced the Common Core Parental Refusal Act.

Now, action taken by leaders in Congress has removed the heart of the Common Core Standards and returned the decision making authority back to the states who will be able to establish their own set of standards without the heavy hand of Washington bureaucrats on their backs. 

We as a State must grasp this opportunity to make our schools the best in the nation by implementing high standards that ensure our children receive the best education and are prepared to succeed in life.   I encourage the Board of Regents to ensure our schools have the flexibility to provide the quality education we have come to expect in the Hudson Valley.

I look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues in both the Senate and Assembly to make significant changes to New York's Learning Standards that will give every child the opportunity to succeed.  Our children have been missing out on the joy of discovery and learning and it is high time we bring that back to our classrooms.