“While I am hopeful that the New York State Education Department’s commissioner-elect, MaryEllen Elia, will bring a fresh perspective to the table, I am equally discouraged by the business-as-usual approach to selecting her for the position. This appears to be another rushed, back-door decision with no transparency and lack of input from the public.

“I am hopeful that the recent election of Ms. Elia will provide an opportunity for a fresh start. First and foremost, it is critical that she familiarizes herself with our state’s extremely diverse education system, as she has not taught in New York for almost 30 years. That being said, I am hopeful that she has the necessary qualifications needed to better understand the ever-changing climate within our education system, and that she keeps in mind the struggles our teachers and students have faced in recent years.

“In order to be successful, she must be willing to work with education stakeholders to restore our state’s world-class education. Listening to the concerns of parents, educators and children will make a large difference in the future trajectory of educational standards across the state. Our state’s education leader must be in tune with the issues facing our public schools and address the many unproven reforms that have been implemented over the last few years.”