The state Assembly passed a bill Wednesday to delay some of the effects of New York’s Common Core learning standards.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says the bill delays the effects of the new learning standards for two more years, for both students and teachers. Teachers fear they will be evaluated on their pupils’ test scores when there wasn’t enough time to prepare and teach the new material.
“You can’t count it against students that here they are, taking an exam that they weren’t prepared for, that the teachers weren’t prepared to teach,” Silver said. “It is a logical bill.”
There is support for a moratorium on the effects of Common Core in the state Senate, and Silver predicts the two houses will ultimately agree on a new law.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set up a panel to look into the matter.
Republican lawmakers, who are in the minority in the Assembly, proposed an amendment to get rid of the Common Core standards altogether. Democrats argued that it’s too late and the state would lose over $1 billion in federal aid already spent by schools on implementing Common Core. The amendment was defeated.
