MALLIOTAKIS, BORELLI URGE STATEN ISLANDERS TO SIGN PETITION FOR COMMON CORE CHANGES

Parents to visit FixNYSchools.com

            Assembly members Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I-Brooklyn, Staten Island) and Joe Borelli (R,C,I-SouthShore) are encouraging local parents, teachers and educators to join the Assembly Minority Conference’s fight for common-sense education reform. Malliotakis and Borelli have joined Assemblyman Al Graf and nearly 22,000 petitioners urging state officials to improve New York’s education system (fixnyschools.com). Last week, the legislators unveiled their report on Common Core and the state ofNew York’s education system, “At the Educational Crossroads,” along with their proposed reforms, the “APPLE Plan.”

“The swift implementation of Common Core curriculum and standards has left parents and teachers dismayed and students struggling to keep up,” said Malliotakis. “When Assemblyman Borelli and I hosted our forum in November, we heard repeatedly about the physical and emotional toll Common Core has taken on the city’s school children. It’s evident from the nearly 22,000 people who have shared their concerns with us that something must be done. We hope that through our petition and the testimony already collected at our forums, we can help bring about much-needed reforms to our education system.”

“We cannot ignore the testimonies ofNew York’s parents, teachers, administrators, and children about the implementation of Common Core in the way that the State Education Department has,” said Borelli. “Assemblywoman Malliotakis and I heard the struggles of our constituents; our students and school districts are in distress due to Common Core’s hurried implementation. It is time we step up and construct real education reform that includes the voices of all New Yorkers, and provides the high quality schooling our students deserve. We hope that through our conference APPLE plan and Assemblyman Graf’s petition we can restructure Common Core and give our children a valuable education.”

On Tuesday, November 12, Malliotakis and Borelli were joined by educators, local officials, parents and members of the Assembly Minority Conference for a forum on the Common Core curriculum at IS 24. Since the governor’s recent announcement that problems with Common Core need to be resolved, Malliotakis and Borelli are again urging more to sign the petition to continue to build the pressure on members of legislature to act.

The full report can be viewed at bit.ly/educationalcrossroads and the list of recommendations can be found at http://bit.ly/APPLEplan. Those wishing to share their concerns about Common Core and the need for reform can do so by visiting http://www.fixnyschools.com/.