Seward Asks School Commissioner

To Visit Rural School In His District

ALBANY – State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, had an opportunity to question the new state education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, today at the Senate Education Committee’s first meeting of the year.

Afterwards, he invited Elia to visit a rural school in his district, and also issued the following statement:

“With so many vital education topics on the agenda for 2016, it was critical to meet with Commissioner Elia to open the first senate education committee meeting of the legislative session.

“It is clear that since her appointment last year, she has done her homework and is already instituting constructive changes.

“Retooling New York’s teacher evaluations system, reforming Common Core, and reducing high-stakes standardized testing are my goals and I look forward to enlisting the commissioner’s assistance in achieving real solutions.

“We need to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to support classroom teachers and help students grow and prepare to meet future challenges. A former teacher herself, I believe the commissioner understands what’s at stake.”