Three recent hearings on the Regents Teacher Task Force report left me with several impressions. Those who don't read the report but demand that the Regents add what is already in the report in the first place puzzle us, yet we listen to them also. But voices for real systems change are few. In general, many teacher association representatives speak against the proposal for outside teacher evaluation. Many college representatives counsel against national accreditation of their institutions.
Some speakers argue for continuation of the existing standards board.
As was the case with the hearings on graduation requirements, the time will soon come when we must weigh what we have heard, let go of the hope to please everyone, make the adjustments that seem sensible, and decide. Becoming competent in another language Regents have signaled their intention to reconsider the immediate graduation requirement in foreign language, and I welcome that. Regents still want students to gain real competence in language as quickly as feasible. Therefore, I propose an expert panel to report in June to the Regents and me on how best to accomplish this goal. A language expert and a school superintendent will co-chair the panel.