Earlier this month, the New York State Museum opened a new exhibition,   Votes for Women: Celebrating New York's Suffrage Centennial. On display through May 13, 2018, the exhibition honors the centennial of women's suffrage in New York State and raises awareness of the struggle for equal rights through the present day. The exhibition features more than 250 artifacts and images from the collections of the State Museum, State Archives, State Library, cultural institutions, and private lenders from across the state. 

It's important for everyone - especially our students - to fully understand this pivotal moment in our history. The women's suffrage movement in New York isn't just about the struggle for women's rights; it also teaches us about cultural heritage, activism, democracy, and the struggle for equal rights for all. It's up to us to inspire the next generation and show our children that they too can raise their voices and achieve great things. If you can, I encourage you to visit the State Museum with your children and see this exhibition.

This week, NYSED proposed regulatory changes to expand the Transitional G teaching certificate for career changers beyond the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to include any area for which there is a teaching certificate title.

In addition, NYSED proposed to allow individuals employed as pre-professional teaching assistants to complete student teaching or practica experience while employed under their pre-professional certificate to meet the student teaching component of their educator preparation programs. Public comment periods on both proposed amendments will be held from Nov 29 through Jan 15.