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Middle-Level Reform Update: Sign-off May Be Written Off submitted by Alta Jo Longware, President on
12/02/2004
On October 1, 2004, NYSTEA issued a formal response to SED’s proposed “Strategy to Implement the Regents Policy Statement on Middle-Level Education”. NYSTEA supports Model A, where schools continue to follow State mandates and guidelines. The response also addresses Models B and C, which would allow schools to propose alternative programs. In the response are suggestions that would tighten up the design principles for those programs with respect to integration, teacher certification, and the review, approval and accountability.
If you have not yet read both the Strategy proposal and the NYSTEA response document, I suggest you do so as soon as possible. The Strategy document is available on the NYS SED web site at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/mle/mlesept04regentsitem.htm and ou can download the NYSTEA Response in pdf format from our website at www.NYSTEA.com. Other associations, including NYSUT and NYSCEA have echoed our concerns with the three-model approach in their responses to SED. In a recent letter to the Regents, Maria Neira, Vice President of NYSUT, highlighted the following concerns: Sign-off/Consultation/Involvement of Teachers Bargaining Unit, BOCES Approval of Model C, School Eligibility and Qualified Staff. Ms. Neira urged SED to continue to require teacher sign-off in Model C stating that “Such requirements are the best way to ensure the involvement and support of teachers for program changes. Informal ways don’t work.”
In his November newsletter, Assistant Commissioner, James Kadamus wrote; “Middle-Level Education. Since September, we have received hundreds of comments on the three-model middle-level strategy. Generally, commentors supported the concept of three models for middle-level programs, but were very divided on certain aspects of the models. Specifically, more work is needed on Model C. The Regents directed SED staff to review the public comments and bring a modified middle-level proposal to the Regents for approval at their December meeting.”
To date, there has not been any information published by the SED committee pertaining to what the modified proposal will (or will not) include. If it will be discussed at the December 16th or 17th meeting, it should be indicated on the agenda. Both the agenda and the modified proposal should be posted soon on the NYS SED website at http://www.regents.nysed.gov/.
The most current news is that the School Boards Association has stated that they will not accept any proposal that requires teacher bargaining unit sign-off. SED has already weakened their stance on the sign-off and is looking at using a consultation clause similar to that used in the shared-decision making/professional development regulations language.
NYSUT endorses the sign-off, stating that “This (sign-off) requires the “buy in” of all parties, particularly the teachers…provides a check and balance on the experiment.” If you have not discussed the implications of the proposed models with your association, you need to do so immediately and ask them to submit a letter of support for the sign-off. Schools are being forced to evaluate their progress and change is inevitable. You can help determine the direction of the by getting and staying informed and by being involved in middle-level discussions at the local level.
Regent Tallon recently stated that he recognizes the importance of technology education and that the picture looks better for tech ed than it did originally. But he also acknowledged that there is not consensus among the Regents and that the proposal could get tabled again. Regent Tallon asked for additional input that would provide clear direction pertaining to what changes NYSTEA would want to see included with Models B and C language that would make them acceptable to our association. However, he did indicate that even with the input, it might not change anything in the proposal.
NYSTEA will provide the Regents with a “clear direction” for Models B and C based on our original response to the middle level proposal. We will continue to be a proactive partner in middle-level reform by participating on SED assessment teams, providing quality professional development opportunities to improve Technology education teaching practices and programs, and revising and updating curriculum to better align with State standards and to include newer technologies.
NYSTEA is here to assist you. It is our mission to work with Technology educators and communities to foster the development of creativity, critical thinking and technological literacy in all students through activity-based experiences and the study of the human made world. If you are not a current member of NYSTEA, please consider joining today. We want to say that NYSTEA represents you, when we say, “NYSTEA is committed to ensuring that all middle-level students have the opportunity to study technology education”.
Your questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please feel free to contact me at AJLatNYSTEA@westelcom.com or at 518-834-2800 x251.
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Tom Frawley
NYSTEA President
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