Assemblyman Ed Ra (R,C,I-Franklin Square) released the following statement in response to State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia's announcement that she will resign at the end of August:

“It remains clear that there is a lot of work to be done to restore trust in our State Education Department. I hope the Board of Regents will conduct an open and transparent process to find a Commissioner who can lead us away from the failed era of standardized testing and one-size-fits-all education policy into a new era of individualized education that provides dynamic opportunities for all students and empowers parents and talented educators,” said Ra.