Education Commissioner Elia

Tours Laurens Central School

LAURENS – Stopping into classrooms and talking with students were all on the agenda as Senator Jim Seward and MaryEllen Elia, Commissioner of Education, visited Laurens Central School this morning to tour the facilities and to discuss the needs of the teachers and changes in NY State testing standards.

In a survey conducted by the Board of Education, they found 72% of schools wanted higher standards for testing. The input will be added to the review of the current standards and given to the board of Regents, who will review the suggestions, approve them and update the standards.

“If we lessen standards, than the students will be less successful when they graduate.” said Elia. “I want students to leave high school ready to pursue what they want to do. If they don’t go to college, I want them to have pathways to careers that are relevant to what is happening in New York state. I don’t want them to be trained in just one thing. I want them to have opportunities to be versatile in whatever they may choose to do.”