Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) today urged the Assembly Majority to bring A.7402, a measure that would strike the requirement that certain education employees sign confidentiality agreements, to the floor for a vote. McDonough said it is irresponsible to disallow dissemination of information about Common Core assessments, and students will benefit and achieve higher scores on exams for which their teachers can properly prepare.

“I was proud to support this legislation in the Education Committee on Monday,” McDonough said. “One problem with the Common Core roll-out is that teachers cannot properly prepare students for the tests because they are not allowed to discuss test material or have access to test questions even after the assessments have been completed. How can we expect students to score well on these tests and base teacher evaluations on the scores when the material is ambiguous and confidential? I am calling on my Majority colleagues to bring this legislation to the floor for a vote and do what is right for New York’s teachers, students and parents.”

Assembly Bill 7402 would prohibit the State Education Department (SED) from requiring teachers, principals and superintendents to sign confidentiality agreements for ELA and math assessments administered for grades three through eight. McDonough has been staunchly opposed to the botched implementation of Common Core and is a member of the Assembly’s Committee on Education.