We need the work of the Regents Task Force on Teaching for obvious reasons. With student standards now higher, teacher preparation and professional development will have to keep pace. There are a lot of elements to this effort to improve schools. However, when someone says that New York has too many school initiatives, I push back. At this stage, the reform looks messy, but then so did that terrific school.
Hard work raises the dust.
But it is to good purpose, the right people are engaged, and it's going to succeed. The Regents and the State Education Department are conducting an extraordinary number of regional meetings. These discussions are in addition to uncounted community meetings involving individual Regents and Department staff. It's a tough schedule but worth it. Real change depends on real involvement with those most affected.