Even before the final details of the education changes in the budget are revealed, teachers’ unions are already claiming partial victory in their war of words with Governor Cuomo.
The President of New York State United Teachers Karen Magee says her group and the state legislature has beaten back what she calls the worst of Governor Cuomo’s agenda. The governor sought new teacher performance reviews that would rely more heavily on standardized testing. In the end, the state education department will device new teacher evaluation criteria. And education aid will increase by over one and a half billion dollars.
Magee says the governor’s effort to “try to bully changes in education” has been pushed back.
Cuomo has won approval of a plan to put failing schools in receivership, though the schools may have a year to turn things around.
Magee says the union will also be taking steps to convince parents that their children should opt out of standardized tests associated with the controversial Common Core standards.
“To say that these tests indicate what students have learned, is similar to blaming your dentist for cavities,” said Magee. “It makes no sense, there’s no connection.”
