“Last night, the Assembly and I passed measures that reform the testing components of Common Core. This legislation addresses the use of test results in teacher and principal evaluation and student placement, encourages further teacher and professional training, and prohibits the use of student data by third parties.

“We are nowhere near finished, but this is a positive step toward reforming the Common Core Standards. I encourage my legislative colleagues to continue to discuss the implications of Common Core, and I will advocate for passage of the Achieving Pupil Preparedness and Launching Excellence (APPLE) Plan. My Minority colleagues and I developed this plan after holding over 10 hearings throughout the state, one of which I hosted in Lewis County.

“New York’s educational system needs a real overhaul that addresses not only Common Core, but will ensure proper school aid funding, implement a program that educates all of New York’s students, and demand accountability from our state’s commissioner of education. New York’s students deserve these reforms, and I will continue to fight for them.”