Montesano, Assembly Minority Unveil 2016 Education Agenda

New York, NY – Today, Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head) participated in a press conference announcing “The Next Step” 2016 Education Agenda. The plan urges the adoption of six points that would reform and strengthen New York’s education system.

“New York’s students, educators and districts have suffered under the Common Core curriculum for far too long,” said Montesano. “Now more than ever is the time to adopt the meaningful reform measures that our conference has put forth. This curriculum has restricted the quality of education that our children are receiving, and this year we have an opportunity to move forward with measures that restore the high-quality education that our classrooms have been missing.”

This new plan provides “The Next Step” for New York’s education system and would ensure a fair and appropriate set of standards. The six points outlined in the Assembly Minority’s 2016 Education Agenda include:

• Eliminating the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) and delineating a definitive plan for the full phase-in of Foundation Aid;
• Repealing the current teacher evaluation system and empowering the Board of Regents to establish, with requisite input from education experts, school administrators, parents and teachers, a new teacher evaluation system to be implemented statewide;
• Creating new state learning standards with the help and guidance of teachers, school administrators, parents and education experts;
• Ensuring all state assessments are age/developmentally-appropriate and of the highest quality;
• Increasing the transparency of the state’s testing program and protecting teachers and students from the negative effects of state assessments until major reforms are made; and
• Providing increased flexibility for our students by providing them with multiple pathways to success and our local school districts by giving them the freedom and resources to develop curriculum locally.

Pictured Above: Assemblyman Michael Montesano joins members of the Assembly Minority Conference to roll out their 2016 Education Agenda.