December 2023

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Holidays! I want to take a moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for all you do every day to serve students and for your continued commitment to education in New York State.

Be sure to take some time during the upcoming break to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of your loved ones. I look forward to continuing our important work in the new year and working together to provide a world-class education for all students.

I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Sincerely,

Betty A. Rosa

Commissioner

At this month's Board of Regents meeting, the Board outlined its budget and legislative priorities for the 2024-25 school year. These priorities focus on supporting lifelong learning opportunities, providing a P-20 continuum in education, and advancing equity in education for all students.

The Board of Regents' comprehensive legislative and budget proposals include:

• Supporting districts with rapid enrollment growth,
• Providing resources to meet the increasing demand for career and technical education and early college programs,
• Bolstering supports and services for students with disabilities,
• Funding to support English Language Learners,
• Stabilizing revenue for cultural education,
• Facilitating a statewide approach and campaign to address teacher recruitment and retention issues, as well as lack of diversity in the profession, and
• Additional funding for higher education opportunity programs to reach and support more students.

To carry out these priorities, the Board of Regents' proposal includes an investment in agency-wide infrastructure to allow continued progress toward the Department’s goal of providing world-class customer service and improved supports for districts, teachers, students, parents, professionals, and the public.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is conducting a series of public hearings as part of the State’s comprehensive review of the overall effectiveness of mayoral control of New York City schools. In accordance with Chapter 364 of the Laws of 2022, members of the public—including students, parents, teachers, school administrators and staff, and individuals with experience and expertise in education policy and school governance—are welcome to provide feedback on their experiences, assessments, and/or review of the mayoral control system of New York City schools to help inform the State’s review.

Members of the public may participate by providing oral testimony at a public hearing, and/or by submitting written electronic testimony. Visit NYSED's Mayoral Control website for a full list of hearings, locations, and times.

NYSED recently nominated 25 New York State high school seniors for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Presidential Scholar recognition is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations, and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Congratulations to the nominees!

Earlier this month, NYSED’s Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages hosted more than 200 teachers and administrators from across the state at a conference in New York City to discuss the best ways to support our English Language Learners (ELLs).

The conference marked the official launch of a new tool, Academic and Linguistic Demands: Creating Access to the Next Generation Learning Standards in English Language Arts for Linguistically Diverse Learners (ALDs).

Every student deserves a world-class education, and this framework will help educators meet the individualized cultural and linguistic needs of students. The new tool supports teachers implementing the New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards while incorporating the tenets of the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) Framework. The tool empowers teachers to design instruction that directly addresses individual students’ needs while providing equity, increasing access, and honoring the cultural and linguistic diversity of all New York State’s students.

LEAs may request over-the-counter rapid antigen COVID-19 self-tests free of charge from the federal government for their students, families, staff, and school community. To participate in the COVID-19 Testing Supply Program, LEAs must complete a one-time registration. Before registering, LEAs should designate an official point of contact who will be responsible for ordering the COVID-19 self-test kits and managing their delivery and dissemination for the district.

For the latest information on COVID-19 prevention in schools, including recommendations on testing, please refer to the following resources:

• Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning
• How to Protect Yourself and Others - Guidance for mitigation of COVID-19 in the community at large
• COVID-19 Testing Supply Program