State of New York | Executive Chamber
Andrew M. Cuomo | Governor
For Immediate Release: April 30, 2012

GOVERNOR CUOMO ESTABLISHES NEW NY EDUCATION REFORM COMMISSION

Commission Brings Together Education, Community, and Business Leaders to
Recommend Reforms in Student Achievement and Management Efficiency

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today established the New NY Education Reform
Commission, bringing together nationally-recognized education, community,
and business leaders to recommend reforms to the state's education system
in order to improve performance in the classroom so that all of New York’s
students are fully prepared for their futures.

The Commission will examine the current structure of the state’s education
system including teacher recruitment and performance, student achievement,
education funding and costs, parent and family engagement, problems facing
high-need districts, and the best use of technology in the classroom. The
Commission will also analyze the organization of school districts to ensure
they are structured to meet the needs of New York’s students while also
respecting the taxpayer.

"It is essential that we give New York students the knowledge and the tools
to compete and to thrive in this highly competitive global economy,"
Governor Cuomo said. "The New NY Education Reform Commission brings
together educators, business, labor, non-profit leaders, and proven
innovators to take a close look at our state's schools and come up with a
blueprint for their future success. An effective education system leads to
strong communities and a healthy economy, as well as ensuring that our
students are properly educated and trained to enter the workforce. The
future of our state depends directly on how well we teach our kids today
and I look forward to working together with the Commission to make our
public schools the best in the nation."

Richard (Dick) Parsons, Retired Chairman, Citigroup, and Chair of the New
NY Education Reform Commission, said, "The next generation of New York’s
students will not be able to compete in the global economy unless we
dramatically reform our schools. To take on this task, Governor Cuomo has
brought together top education and business leaders from across the country
to help build an effective education system that puts students first and
holds schools accountable for the results they achieve and the dollars they
spend. I thank the Governor for his leadership and for convening this
commission."

New York State spends more money per student than any other state in the
nation, but ranks 38th in high school graduation rates. 73 percent of New
York’s students graduate from high school and 37 percent are college ready.
To address these major shortcomings in the state’s education system,
Governor Cuomo called for the creation of the New NY Education Reform
Commission in his 2012 State of the State address.

The Governor today signed an Executive Order creating the Commission, and
tasked the members with the following objectives:

Find ways to improve teacher recruitment and performance, including the
teacher evaluation system:

The quality of a student’s teacher is one of the most important factors in
his or her success. Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo and the Legislature
put in place a strong teacher evaluation system to improve teaching and
learning by holding teachers accountable for student achievement. The
Commission will examine factors contributing to teacher recruitment and
performance including: incentives to hire and retain high-quality teachers;
improvements in the teacher evaluation system to ensure New York is
implementing one of the strongest evaluation systems in the country; the
use of teacher evaluations for decisions regarding promotion, hiring and
termination as required in the teacher evaluation law; and teacher
preparation, certification and education programs to ensure that teachers
are properly trained to best educate our students.

Improve student achievement:

New York ranks 38th in high school graduation rates and many students who
graduate are not college- or career- ready, with many requiring
remediation. The Commission will examine factors in raising student
achievement from prekindergarten through high school including: state
accountability and curriculum requirements; model programs to improve
student achievement beginning in early learning programs and continuing
throughout high school; strategies for every student to achieve at grade
level such as intervention and support systems; and policies to improve
student attendance and retention.

Examine education funding, distribution and costs:

New York spends more per pupil on its education system than any other
state. Although funding is dictated by diverse local needs, education
spending is too often focused on administrative overhead and benefits
rather than the classroom. The Commission will examine factors that impact
spending in education, including: school funding and distribution of State
Aid; efficiency and utilization of education spending at the district
level; the percentage of per-pupil funding that goes to the classroom as
compared to administrative overhead and benefits; approaches to improving
special education programs and outcomes while also reducing costs;
identifying ways to reduce transportation costs; identifying strategies to
create significant savings and long-term efficiencies; and analysis of
district-by-district returns on educational investment and educational
productivity to identify districts that have higher student outcomes per
dollar spent, and those that do not.

Increase parent and family engagement in education:

Parents and families need to be fully engaged in preparing our children for
success in school and thereafter. The Commission will examine state and
local policies to increase parent and family engagement, including: how the
school calendar meets the needs of students and families to optimize
engagement such as parent-teacher conferences and half-days; district and
school-level policies to address student attendance issues; access to
information regarding teacher effectiveness; and parental involvement in
school policies such as placement of students in low-performing schools and
in the classrooms of ineffective teachers.

Examine the problem of high-need and low-wealth school communities:

The students in New York's high-need and low-wealth school districts ? both
urban and rural ? have specific needs that must be fully addressed. The
Commission will examine the ways to better serve students in high-need
urban and rural communities, including: identifying how the unique
challenges facing students in each high-need district create obstacles to
academic success; comparing best practices and services that will meet the
needs of our high-risk students; and prioritizing spending in high-need
school districts in order to address problems that may require additional
or different services and adequately prepare high-risk students in urban
and rural schools.

Find the best use of technology in the classroom:

The use of technology in the classroom is critical for the educational and
future success of our students. The Commission will identify the strategies
for making the best use of technology in the classroom, including:
improving access to high quality educational programs through technology in
geographically diverse districts with small populations; addressing cost
barriers to providing high quality educational programs that can be
delivered through the use of technology in the classroom; and understanding
what areas in the science, technology, engineering and math fields students
should know to be prepared for the job market in an increasingly global
economy.

Examine New York’s education system to ensure it meets the needs of
students while respecting the taxpayer:

New York’s education system is organized into 700 school districts, more
than half of which educate fewer than 2,000 students. Each of the 700
school districts has its own administration and back office functions,
creating duplication, waste, and inefficiencies in the way school districts
deliver education. The Commission will examine potential strategies to
reorganize the state's education system including district consolidation
and/or shared services; comparing models from other states to achieve
efficiencies and improved education outcomes; identifying reforms and
savings in special education; maximizing informed participation in local
elections; and facilitating shared services, consolidation and regional
governance.

Membership of the Commission includes:

Richard (Dick) Parsons, Retired Chairman, Citigroup, Chair of the New NY
Education Reform Commission
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
Geoffrey Canada, Founder & CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone
Irma Zardoya, President & CEO, NYC Leadership Academy
Elizabeth Dickey, President, Bank Street College of Education
Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, President, Say Yes to Education
Lisa Belzberg, Founder & Chair Emeritus, PENCIL
Michael Rebell, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Campaign for Educational
Equity
Karen Hawley Miles, President & Executive Director, Education Resource
Strategies
José Luis Rodríguez, Founder & CEO, Hispanic Information and
Telecommunications Network, Inc.
Sara Mead, Associate Partner, Bellwether Education Partners
Eduardo Martí, Vice Chancellor of Community Colleges, CUNY
Thomas Kane, Professor of Education & Economics, Harvard Graduate School of
Education
Jean Desravines, CEO, New Leaders for New Schools
Michael Horn, Executive Director & Co-Founder, InnoSight Institute
Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor, SUNY
Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, CUNY
John B. King, Jr., Commissioner, New York State Education Department
Senator John Flanagan, Chair, Senate Education Committee
Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Chair, Assembly Education Committee



The Commission will meet multiple times and will gather input and
information from across the state. The Commission will submit preliminary
recommendations to the Governor by December 1, 2012, or such other date as
the Governor shall advise the Commission.

Staff to the Commission will be the Deputy Secretary for Education, the
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Education, and the Assistant Deputy
Secretary for Higher Education to the Governor.