Dear Parents and Families, | | |
As we celebrate this holiday season, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the invaluable role you play in your child’s education. Your support, encouragement, and partnership help inspire curiosity and nurture learning at home and beyond.
In this last letter of 2025, I would like to share important updates on the following topics:
- Board of Regents Budget and Legislative Priorities
- Honoring History, Inspiring the Future!
- Interactive Family Programming, Exhibits, and Discoveries at the New York State Museum
Wishing you peace, joy, and well-deserved moments of rest as you enjoy the holidays and prepare to welcome a new year.
Sincerely,
Betty A. Rosa
Commissioner
| | Board of Regents Budget and Legislative Priorities for the 2026-27 School Year | | |
At this month's New York State Board of Regents meeting, the Board outlined its budget and legislative priorities for the 2026-27 school year. The Board’s proposals focus on promoting excellence and equity in education for all students in New York State—from Prekindergartners to those pursuing higher education—and identify solutions to better meet the needs of underserved districts, justice system-involved youth who reside in detention settings, and students with disabilities. Each proposal aligns with the State Education Department’s ongoing work under the NY Inspires plan to transform education and equip students with the necessary skills to enter an ever-evolving workforce.
Top priorities include expanding Universal Prekindergarten, increasing opportunities for Career and Technical Education, aligning instructional requirements with new graduation measures, and supporting students’ access to higher education. Proposed Foundation Aid formula enhancements would better account for English Language Learners and students experiencing homelessness, and support districts seeking to maintain existing levels of educational services.
Additional proposals would fund capital projects at the State Education Building, the Cultural Education Center, the State’s three Nation schools, the New York State School for the Blind, and the New York State School for the Deaf. The Board also requested the creation of a consistent funding stream into the Cultural Education Fund to provide operating support for the New York State Museum, the New York State Library, and the New York State Archives.
| | Honoring History, Inspiring the Future! | | |
The New York State Education Department recently joined New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, the 250th Knox Regional Commemoration, and partners from the NYS 250th Commission at Peebles Island State Park to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery.
As part of this historic celebration, students from WSWHE BOCES built a stunning replica sled, echoing the ingenuity and perseverance of Henry Knox’s 1775 journey.
The commemoration continues with events across seven counties, featuring reenactments, processions, and living history programs. Learn more at the 250th Knox Regional Commemoration website.
| | New York State Museum Brings the Holidays to Life With Interactive Family Programming | | |
The New York State Museum is celebrating winter break with more than two weeks of festive, family-friendly programs featuring seasonal crafts, live animals, and cultural traditions.
Visitors can enjoy a range of activities, including a community Kwanzaa celebration, hands-on 18th-century games, and winter animal encounters with the Utica Zoo.
A full list of Museum programming can be found at the New York State Museum website.
| | Barbie™: A Cultural Icon Exhibition | | |
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon Exhibition is now on view at the New York State Museum! The exhibition showcases over six decades of evolution, featuring more than 300 historical Barbie dolls, fashions, and designer interviews.
Commissioner Betty A. Rosa recently got a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating, free exhibition featuring the exciting chance to view the very first 1959 doll.
Take advantage of numerous photo ops throughout the exhibit and make sure to check out our pop-up Gift Shop—perfect for the holidays.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon is a traveling, featured exhibition. It is located in the NYSM West Gallery and is curated and toured by Illusion Projects Inc., curated by Karan Feder, in partnership with Mattel Inc.
| | Rare Discoveries Unearthed As Botanists Gather in Adirondacks for Renowned Workshop | | |
Rare Discoveries in the Adirondacks! Seventy botanists from across the U.S. and Canada gathered at the Huntington Wildlife Forest for the renowned Crum-Tuckerman Workshop, led by Dr. James Lendemer, curator of botany at the New York State Museum. The workshop highlighted the hidden world of lichens, mosses, and liverworts—tiny organisms that play a crucial role in keeping our forests thriving.
They documented hundreds of species, including:
- Eastern candlewax lichen – thought lost from NY
- Long-stalked hair-cap moss – newly found in Hamilton County
- Bubbling witch’s hair lichen – endangered and rediscovered
These findings suggest that even well-studied regions hold secrets waiting to be uncovered.
| | Rock foam lichen (Stereocaulon saxatile), one of many species found on rocks along streams across New York | | Smooth lungwort (Ricasolia quercizans), which relies on old-growth forests like those in the Adirondack Park | | New York State Museum Researchers Confirm Rare Documented Case of a Wild Gray Wolf in New York | | |
Scientists from the New York State Museum, working with Princeton University and the Northeast Ecological Recovery Society, have confirmed the first documented gray wolf south of the St. Lawrence River in decades!
The discovery comes after extensive analysis of a canid shot by a hunter in Cherry Valley, Otsego County in December 2021.
Gray wolves were wiped out from the Northeast by the late 1800s, but this peer-reviewed study led by Dr. Jeremy Kirchman shows that wolves from eastern Canada occasionally make their way into New York State.
The Cherry Valley wolf is currently on display as part of the Museum’s “Canine Contrasts” exhibit, where visitors can learn about the complex relationship between wolves, coyotes, and their hybrid descendants in eastern North America.
| | Nature’s Partnerships: State Museum Research Reveals How Habitat Loss Impacts Biodiversity in Appalachian Forests | | |
Did you know that the diversity of tree species in a forest has a huge impact on how many types of lichens can live there? A recent study led by the New York State Museum shows how habitat loss affects biodiversity.
This research underscores that protecting native habitats is key to sustaining the full web of forest life.
Learn more about how lichens help us understand forest health and why tree diversity matters.
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