Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) said today that those on the front lines of education must be given greater influence when it comes to shaping policy and budget initiatives. McDonough said he’s encouraged by the idea of including real stakeholders in the conversation surrounding teacher evaluations, and that we cannot ignore the needs of teachers, parents, and administrators.

“I am hopeful the Legislature will consider the creation of an independent panel that would express the concerns of teachers to policymakers,” McDonough said. “I believe a lot of the recent frustration with Gov. Cuomo’s proposed education initiatives is that those on the front lines who teach students each day have been excluded from the conversation. The input of teachers, parents, and administrators is priceless, and future negotiations must include these groups if we are to make changes that address the concerns of everyone involved.”

McDonough has been an outspoken critic of Common Core testing and recently spoke at a press conference in Albany to garner support for a bill that would require school districts to inform parents of their children’s ability to opt-out of it. He said, we need to protect teachers as we move into the next round of Common Core testing in April.

“Time is truly of the essence as we are only weeks away from the next round of Common Core tests,” McDonough said. “It would be unfair and irresponsible to base half of our teachers’ evaluations on Common Core tests when they still are struggling to learn the new curriculum and when parents and students still have little knowledge of the testing structure or material. By greatly altering teacher evaluations in the budget, we are allowing our teachers only about three weeks to prime students and prepare for testing on which 50 percent of their annual evaluations will be based. That is disrespectful and insulting. I am renewing my call for Common Core testing to be suspended, and I encourage all groups involved, including the governor, to read and support my conference’s Achieving Pupil Preparedness and Launching Excellence (APPLE) Plan at www.fixnyschools.com. This is the Common Sense approach to Common Core.”

McDonough’s comments come after New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Karen Magee said a panel of stakeholders, tasked with voicing the concerns of educators to Gov. Cuomo, would be supported by the union. NYSUT and its supporters are planning a large rally in Albany on Thursday.