EdVANTAGE Blog

In this post:

• Cuomo on Triborough
• Silver on taxes
• SED on paperwork
• Fellows on loan
• Buffalo News on cyber-bullying

Read the rest of this entry »

This month’s edition of the Councilgram, our monthly, newsletter features part one of an interview with State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

In this part of the interview, the Commissioner answers questions about the financial challenges facing schools, the soundness of state assessments, the pace of reform, and the rewards he finds leading a state agency, after spending most of his career closer to the classroom.

At the end of part one, the Commissioner acknowledges that successful implementation of the Regents Reform Agenda is “wholly contingent on the successful leadership of superintendents.” Read the rest of this entry »

It has been a hard week for many people –  heartbreaking and tragic for some who were affected by floods and wind damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

Some schools have been directly affected and forced to postpone the beginning of classes.  From past weather disasters, we know schools also serve their communities in different ways in such times, providing space for emergency shelter.

In smaller but significant ways it has been a difficult stretch for the New York State Education Department as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

As has been widely reported, earlier this week, a State Supreme Court Judge invalidated some aspects of the regulations adopted by the Board of Regents to govern teacher and principal evaluation.

Below is the summary of the decision we sent to superintendents.

Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Daily News reports that outgoing State Education Commissioner David Steiner will return to his former position as Dean of the Hunter College School of Education, and will lead a new City University Institute on Education Policy.

Meanwhile, Peter Meyer of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has several pieces on Commissioner Steiner’s service and his departure:

• An interview with the Commissioner, four days after his plans to resign were announced (the interview is prefaced with the note that, “The specifics of his resignation were “off limits”).
• A December 2010 interview on how New York State won a Race to the Top grant.*
• A forthcoming article in Education Next, “Assessing New York’s Commissioner of Education.”

They are all worth reading, but to pick only one, I would recommend the first.

The Fordham Institute is not affiliated in any way with New York’s Fordham University.  Education Next is a journal of the generally conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

No word yet on who will succeed Dr. Steiner as Commissioner, or when a decision will be made, but speculation continues to center on current Senior Deputy Commissioner John King.

* Here is a post presenting our own more mathematical analysis of how New York gained enough points on its second Race to the Top application to win funding.

Today’s Buffalo News editorializes that John King “deserves strong consideration” to succeed David Steiner as State Education Commissioner.

Dr. King currently serves as the State Education Senior Deputy Commissioner in charge of P-12 education (prekindergarten through grade 12).

Read the rest of this entry »

On the Capitol Pressroom radio show today, State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch acknowledged rumors that Education Commissioner David Steiner is exploring other options, saying, ““I have heard a lot about that.  I believe the commissioner is exploring options, but I think no decision has been made.”

Also today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he has accepted the resignation of Cathie Black as Chancellor of the City public schools.

UPDATE (4 pm, April 7):  The State Education Department issued statements by Commissioner Steiner and Chancellor Tisch confirming that Dr. Steiner will leave sometime later this year.  No successor has been designated.

Read the rest of this entry »

Happy news for a change!

I could not be more pleased to report that Bernard Pierorazio of Yonkers has been chosen the 2011 New York State Superintendent of the Year.

Below is the text of our news release.  Here is a link to a “PDF” version.

As New York’s choice, Bernard now becomes a candidate for the national superintendent of the year, to be announced by our national affiliate, the American Association of School Administrators, at its conference during the last week in February.

Good luck to him!

Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks back, the Buffalo News ran an editorial harshly critical of school superintendents and their compensation.

Yesterday, The News ran a response by our Executive Director, Bob Reidy.  You can read it here. Read the rest of this entry »

Today, State Education Commissioner David Steiner announced the appointment of a panel to review Mayor Bloomberg’s request for a waiver to allow corporate executive Cathleen Black to serve as the New York City Schools Chancellor.

We will not be weighing-in on whether Ms. Black should should get a waiver from the requirement that school district superintendents hold an administrative certificate issued by the State Education Department.

Instead, two of our members will participate formally in that decision. Read the rest of this entry »