Coming on the heels of an announcement by the Board of Regents that students in grades 3 through 8 will now be required to take a four-hour reading exam, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush has written a letter to the Chancellor of the Board of Regents, expressing his concerns over this and other recent mandates by the Board. “In my opinion, with this most recent mandate, the Board of Regents has gone too far. First, it was requiring ALL students, including special education students, to get a Regents diploma or get nothing, and now four-hour tests for 7-year-olds? At what point does education take a priority versus testing?” the Assemblyman said. Just last week, the Assemblyman met with a middle school special education teacher who expressed her deep concerns about requiring special education students, some of who read at a kindergarten level, to get a Regents diploma. The teacher told the Assemblyman that instead of teaching life skills, such as counting money, she has to spend important educational time giving her students Regents exams in subjects such as algebra and global studies. “We wouldn’t expect a student with a physical disability to run a mile, so how can we expect a student with a severe learning disability to not only take but pass the Regents? It doesn’t make sense,” the Assemblyman said. “I urge the Board of Regents to reconsider their mandates and consider the education of students over statistics.” The text of the letter is below: November 29, 2011 Ms. Merryl H. Tisch
Chancellor, NYS Board of Regents
Regents Office
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234 Dear Ms. Tisch, I am writing to you to express my concerns in regard to recent requirements issued by the New York State Board of Regents, specifically, requiring all students, even special education students, to obtain a Regents diploma in order to graduate, as well as four-hour reading testing for children in grades 3 through 8. Last week, I met with a middle school teacher from my district who is deeply concerned about a Board of Regents requirement that ALL students, including those with severe learning disabilities, obtain a Regents diploma in order to graduate high school. Most of the students in this teacher’s class read on a kindergarten or first grade level; therefore, their lessons focus on life skills, such as counting money. It’s unfathomable that these students could even take, let alone pass, all the Regents exams necessary to graduate. Yet, instead of focusing on teaching her students life skills, this teacher must spend important educational time giving her students Regents exams in subjects such as algebra and global studies. Furthermore, I believe that this requirement will result in more students simply dropping out of school, their thought being, “what’s the point of sticking it out 13 years, unable to obtain the required score on one or two Regents exams, and end up with nothing?” We wouldn’t expect a student with a physical disability to run a mile, so how can we expect a student with a severe learning disability to not only take but pass the Regents? In my opinion, it doesn’t make sense. In regard to the new testing schedule for elementary and middle school students, I can’t help but wonder why such lengthy tests are necessary. Can a student’s proficiency in reading not be determined in a two-hour test? Requiring a 7-year-old to focus on reading and answering questions for four hours is simply unrealistic. I urge the Board of Regents to reconsider recent mandates, especially those that require even special education students to receive a Regents diploma and four-hour testing for elementary and middle school students. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions in regard to this request. Sincerely, Ken Blankenush Member of Assembly 122nd Assembly District CC: Commissioner of Education, John King