Government Relations Committee Discusses Key Issues w/ Gov. Office / SED
An important benefit to SAANYS members is the work of the Government Relations Committee (GRC). The GRC meets three times a year in Albany, at which time the group meets with legislators, staff in the governor’s office, the commissioner of education, and other state agencies or groups. The GRC is composed of two members from each of the twelve SAANYS regions and three representatives from New York City. This week the GRC met for its first fall meeting. November 19 was the first segment of the meeting, used to discuss current challenges in their respective regions and high-priority initiatives undertaken by the governor, SED, and legislature. The following are the discussed critical issues facing schools at the beginning of this school year:
- Severe staffing shortages in many areas. Substitute teachers, high school science and math teachers, bilingual teachers, special education teachers, and bus drivers were cited frequently.
- school violence,
- cell phone policies,
- vaping, and
- student absenteeism
After a robust discussion on the above, consultants from Hinman and Straub provided an overview of the recent elections and possible implications. They also provided an overview of SED’s regionalization requirements and the study on foundation aid. These discussions were very helpful as we continue to find effective advocacy strategies during this year.
Meeting with the Governor’s Office
The meeting with the governor’s staff was well-timed due to the governor’s interest in establishing a statewide cell phone policy. GRC members discussed their experiences with cell phone policies in their schools and advocated that any statewide policy that may be established allows flexibility for schools to maintain effective implementation already undertaken.
GRC members were also given the chance to discuss the challenges and priorities faced by schools this fall. The governor’s staff was very interested in hearing about the current shortages being faced and the need for professional development funding to support school administrators.
Meeting with SED Senior Staff
The next set of meetings was conducted at SED. SAANYS was provided with an opportunity to meet with senior staff to have in-depth discussions on regional planning, APPR, and student absenteeism/accountability. These discussions were also very productive in that SED senior staff gained a greater understanding of questions from the field on the proposed APPR regulations, and GRC gained a greater understanding of the regionalization planning process.
The last meeting of the day was with Commissioner Rosa. The commissioner remains very committed to the GRC and is generous with her time and insights. The first discussion focused on the commissioner’s thoughts on cell phone policies. She has had several discussions with the governor’s office stressing the need for district flexibility. She said cell phone policies must consider the relationship between teachers and students and the unique nature of every school climate and culture. The GRC again provided excellent examples of how cell phone limitations were already being implemented in many of their schools.
Several other discussions focused on staffing shortages, the graduation initiatives, and special education needs. GRC members voiced concern that at this point they did not have a clear understanding of how the new high school diploma requirements would impact the middle and elementary schools, as well as special education students.
Overall, the two days provided our members with considerable time with key policymakers. A critical role of GRC members is to take information gleaned from their time in Albany with regional members and to elicit questions from members. It is critical to our work at SAANYS that we provide needed information to the field and just as importantly, that we have a clear understanding of members’ concerns and opinions.