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State education chief visits Sweet Home School District

WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley

New state Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia has only been on the job for four days and she’s already visiting her old stomping grounds.

Elia visited the Sweet Home School District Thursday morning, a place where she taught social studies for 16 years.  Elia said she taught at Sweet Home in the 1970's & 8o's.

"Common Core is something that should be reviewed. We will do that in the state of New York," said NYSED Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. "We have to make sure those assessments are appropriate and used to support students and teachers."

Elia spoke with Sweet Home's school board, teachers, administrators, parents and reporters about public education.

Elia is already talking about how she hopes to tackle some of the key issues facing state education, including the annual teacher evaluations, opt-outs and testing. She said she wants to gather more information about the state’s testing.  Elia promises to establish focus groups across regions to discuss issues such the Annual Professional Performance Viewing, testing and opting out.

“And do an analysis, Elia said, “in Sweet Home perhaps. How many assessments are given and who’s mandating those assessments and do they have to be given that way and can they be embedded in instruction?, which is really the more productive way to really find if kids are moving forward.”

Credit WBFO News file photo
State Eduction Commissioner MaryEllen Elia meeting with Sweet Home School teachers.

Elia said the Common Core Learning Standards must be reviewed to create effectiveness for students and teachers. Elia noted that she is in favor in higher standards. 

"Common Core is something that should be reviewed. We will do that in the state of New York," said Elia. "We have to make sure those assessments are appropriate and used to support students and teachers."

Other issues facing state education stem from testing, including the state’s high opt-out rates last spring, something that Elia hopes to solve.

Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
Sweet Home school teachers listen to Elia as she discusses a number of issues.

“The opt-out issue has been very problematic. It isn’t a good thing for anybody,” Elia said. “I think we have to figure out how to change that whole dynamic.”

While Elia was visiting the Sweet Home District,  the State Board of Regents announced a new contract with a company to create a new third through eighth grade state ELA and Math tests, dropping the controversial Pearson company

The proposed $44 million, five-year contract is with Questar, Inc. It still needs approval by the Attorney General and State Comptroller.  It would include a district option to administer the tests on computers.  

“Our students deserve the best, most accurate assessments we can give them,” Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said.  “Teachers and parents should have clear, practical information to help them help their students learn.  Our goal is to continue to improve the assessments to make sure they provide the instructional support parents and teachers need to prepare our students for college and careers.  This new contract also recognizes how vitally important it is to have New York State teachers involved in the test development process.” 

Elia informed the Sweet Home School Board about the future testing change.

"When you have a new contractor, doing the test. it gives us an opportunity to include in that contract a number of opportunities for those, as I defined, for practitioners to be part of the process, and that is clearly part of it," stated Elia. 

Elia stated that she will back at the school and area 'a lot' after meeting with Sweet Home teachers, parents and school board members.  She was also asked about he troubled Buffalo School District, especially with receivership in the works for some of the city's failing schools.

"I'm going to be part of the process in helping them see the necessity of doing that and some of the options and opportunities that they will have to make shifts in those schools to support what happens to kids," said Elia. 

The commissioner was pressed about what her plans are for dealing with the many issues, but Elia admitted it is only her fourth day on the job and she hasn't met with Governor Cuomo yet.

Sweet Home parents appeared to be impressed with Elia's style and comments. Andrea Daniel-Sanders is a Sweet Home parent of three children.  

Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
Sweet Home parents were invited to meet with NYSED Commissioner Elia.

"She said that while she was in Florida, she did a lot of teaching with parents and things like that," said Daniel-Sanders.   Elia served as the superintendent in Hillsborough County, Florida.

"And as a parent, we're kind of stuck in the middle because it's a situation where I want my child to be successful and want my child to learn, I need to support my child in their learning and help them."

Jessica Wagner is a parent of two children at Sweet Home. "I certainly haven't been invited to meet with the previous commissioner, so it's definitely a start," noted Wagner. "I like the direction she is going and an idea of a focus group is exactly what is needed."

Elia stressed the importance of parent engagement -- saying parents can be 'very powerful'.   But Elia promises to be a 'voice' for education matters across the state.

Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
State Commissioner MaryEllen Elia meets with parents from the Sweet Home School District.

Along with teaching at Sweet Home, Elia has Western New York roots, having attended Daemen College, the University at Buffalo and SUNY Buffalo State. She is the first woman to lead the state's Education Department.

 

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