Yesterday evening, Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) and his Assembly colleagues took the first step forward for our students, teachers and education system by passing legislation to make some reforms to the Common Core Standards. The legislation addressed some concerns shared by parents across the state, particularly about the protection of student privacy and ensuring that data is not shared with third-party vendors.

“It has become readily apparent that Common Core was engaged too swiftly and with too little foresight,” said McDonough. “As we continue to work to reform our education system, I promise to serve as an advocate for the parents, students and educators in our community. We must address the myriad of issues created by Common Core, including ensuring special-needs children are taught at their developmental age and several other troublesome components of the system.”

McDonough and his Assembly Minority Colleagues offered an amendment to the legislation, A.8844. Under the amendment, Common Core testing would have been delayed until 2016-17 and a Blue Ribbon Commission on 21st Century Testing and Curriculum would have been created to offer recommendations for new standards. The amendment was defeated in a partisan vote of 43-80.

“While the legislation does not address the full spectrum of issues created by Common Core, my Assembly Minority Colleagues and I put forth an amendment which would have done just that. It was truly unfortunate that our amendment was voted down in such a partisan fashion. We need to be putting our children ahead of politics; they deserve no less,” concluded McDonough.