GR Updates

Government Relations Updates

July 2, 2025

Distraction-Free Schools Policy Survey

As part of the Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget, New York State schools will be required to implement a distraction-free school policy.
View the full update here.

June 11, 2025

New York State Education Department – Board of Regents June Meeting Summary

This week, the New York State Board of Regents convened for its June meeting. The agenda included presentations and discussions on summer programming, federal and state education funding, and regulatory changes.

Covered: Presentations, P-20 Workgroup Update, & Regulatory Actions

View the full update here with all relevant links.

May 30, 2025

A Draft Regents Examination Schedule for January, June, and August 2026, was disseminated to the field pertaining to the 2025-26 Regents schedule. This is a draft schedule for which NYSED is requesting feedback from the field which should be submitted no later than June 11, 2025.

NYSED has announced that they will host an Early Learning Institute on August 7, 2025 in Albany at the Cultural Education Center. 

View the full update here with additional information.

May 19, 2025

Updates from the SAANYS Legal Department with reference to the recent passage of the salary cap waiver extension, news from NYSED regarding recommending interested principals to participate on various task forces or advisory boards, and a guidance document concerning the recent Chromebook trend in schools.

View the full update here.

May 8, 2025

Bills enacting the state budget have continued to roll out since last evening. The following highlights are areas of particular importance to our members.

• Use of Internet-enabled devices (aka cell-phone ban)
• Foundation Aid
  • School Aid Runs – specific district allocations.
• Funding for Professional Development
• Universal Meals
• Zero-emission school buses

 

Click here to view the full update with more specific details.

May 7, 2025

Language from the first set of budget bills was released last night. The salary cap waiver for retirees was extended for two more years!

**A Note from SAANYS Legal Department**

Please be advised that the New York State and Local Retirement System as well as the New York State Teachers Retirement System are scrutinizing the use of such waivers. Be advised that there should be a clear separation from employment of at least two months between the date of retirement and the date that the retired employee returns to the school district or BOCES. Also, there should not be any documented communications about returning to work from your prior school district. Should you have any questions regarding this waiver please contact the SAANYS Legal Department at 518-782-0600.

View the full Government Relations Update here.

May 6, 2025

We continue the long wait to see any details from the state budget negotiations. SAANYS will provide summaries of the budget bills as soon as we see them and have an opportunity to review and summarize.

The Board of Regents May meeting was held this week with a focus on charter school approvals and two presentations: Support and Updates for Religious and Independent Schools in NYS and Comprehensive Update on Responses to English Language Learners.

Click here to see the full update with more resources from the Board of Regents meeting.

April 25, 2025

This update discusses the two Executive Orders signed Wednesday, April 23, 2025 – Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies and Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education For American Youth.

Also, the seven major education associations (Educational Conference Board) met with Commissioner Rosa and senior staff to discuss these orders, as well as the status of SED’s actions on the recently required state attestation on Title VI. 

Read the full update here.

April 16, 2025

The legislature passed the 5th budget extender until April 17th. Most news outlets and colleagues with whom SAANYS works are not anticipating a quick resolution of the state budget.

SAANYS will continue to provide our members with updated information as it unfolds.

Click here to read the full update.

April 11, 2025

Thank you to assistant commissioner Zach Warner (Office of State Assessment) for joining a SAANYS Government Relations Update | Live zoom session yesterday to discuss this week’s problems with the computer-based 3-8 testing.

Other resources from this update:

Title VI Attestation NYSED/USDOE

Budget Vote Contingency Memo

P-3 Literacy Attestation Now Available

NYSED New Staff Vacancy Survey

View the full update here.

April 8, 2025

The Board of Regents met on Monday and Tuesday of this week but had a shortened agenda due to the orientation of new members. The Board welcomed three new members: Brian Krist, Esq., Keith B. Wiley, and Felicia Thomas-Williams.

On April 3, 2025, NYSED received a letter from the US Department of Education (ED) requesting certification that NYSED complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Read more about the Board of Regents meeting and NYSED’s response.

March 28, 2025

Over the past few weeks SAANYS has been very active in its advocacy activities both in DC and Albany. Advocacy efforts and statewide discussions have been of paramount importance for ensuring that our Congressional and state representatives have a clear understanding of the priority issue areas for our members and how that impacts students and the community at large. Read the full article.

February 13, 2025

SAANYS met with the commissioner and senior staff this morning, and urged for definitive guidance from the state on how our members should proceed with gender-related issues in light of the recent federal executive orders that conflict with New York law and practice. Read full article.

February 3, 2025

Commissioner Rosa on Presidential statements and NYS Students. Read full article.

January 30, 2025

SAANYS and CSA testify at the legislative hearing on the executive budget. Read full article.

January 27, 2025

Member survey results on the governor’s proposed cell phone policy. Read full article.

January 21, 2025

Today the governor delivered the required proposed executive budget. This budget reflects the major initiatives that were outlined in the State of the State address last week. Read full article.

January 15, 2025

SAANYS attended the live presentation of the governor’s State of the State address. Overall, the address was an acknowledgement of voter priorities regarding the costs of living, public safety, challenges of families with young children, and access to programs and services. Read full update.

January 14, 2025

The NYS Board of Regents met January 13-14, 2025 with the focus primarily on services for students and adults with disabilities. They also heard presentations on chronic absenteeism and performance-based assessments. Read full update.

January 10, 2025

The end of the 2024 legislative cycle concluded with the governor having to sign or veto those bills passed by the legislature by December 31. Final actions included 679 bills signed into law and 126 bills vetoed.  Read full update.

December 10, 2024

The Board of Regents held a meeting on December 10 to discuss budget recommendations and take regulatory actions including items on reading instruction and the regional plans initiative. Read full update.

November 5, 2024

On November 4-5, 2024, the New York State Board of Regents held its monthly meeting, and discussed several key issues of importance to SAANYS members. Major topics included the Graduation Measures Initiative and new regulations for annual performance reviews for educators. Read full update.

October 29, 2024

Governor Hochul recently invited school leaders (SAANYS, NYS School Boards Association, NYS Council of School Superintendents, NYS PTA, NYSUT, and the Conference of Big 5 School Districts) to discuss minimizing cell phone distractions and the adverse impact of cell phones on students while in school. Read full update.

September 23, 2024

SAANYS APPR Survey

We extend our thanks to all members who took the time to respond to our recent APPR Survey. Below is a summary of the results. There were 142 respondents, which represents an excellent level of engagement. However, the sample size is not sufficient to make broad generalizations about all members. Still, the data provides a valuable foundation for discussions with NYSED, the legislature, and during meetings across the state. We greatly appreciate your participation and assure you that this information will be put to good use. Click here to read the full update.

September 18, 2024

News from SAANYS

A couple of weeks ago, we sent out a survey requesting responses to a very short survey regarding the use of cell phones in schools. The results are summarized below. The number of respondents was low (n=34) and we would very much like to increase that number in order to obtain a sufficient sample size to present the information in key meetings on this issue. We will be sending the short survey out again directly to members’ email. Click here to read the full update.

September 12, 2024

News from NYSED

The Board of Regents met on September 9-10, 2024. The agenda included regulatory actions and presentations on key initiatives. Below are highlights of the presentations and regulatory revisions important to our members. Click here to read the full update.

September 6, 2024

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! We wish you a year filled with outstanding work and productive learning – in other words, the work that we all know that school administrators do every day. This week the governor signed the following bills into law: Ex-officio Student Member on School Boards (S.9018-a/A.9855-a) Effective July 1, 2025, school districts and BOCES must include at least one student member to its board of education in an ex-officio position. The student may be selected by the student body, principal, superintendent, or the board. Click here to read the full update.

August 1, 2024

Foundation Aid Hearing in Buffalo

The final state budget included a required study of the Foundation Aid component of state aid to schools. The Rockefeller Institute was tapped to undertake that task with a timeline of December 2024 to provide the governor and legislature with a report. Towards that end, the Rockefeller Institute has and will be holding public meetings on this issue. A public meeting, at the North Park Community School in Buffalo, N.Y. was held last week on July 25th. Dr. Cynthia Gallagher presented a testimony at the hearing on behalf of SAANYS members. Click here to read the full update.

June 28, 2024

A New Law for Principal and Teacher Evaluations

Fourteen years after the first annual professional performance evaluation law was established in 2010, the governor signed into law a new Section 3012-e of the Education Law. The law provides an eight-year transition period for districts to design a new APPR plan aligned with the new law. Districts may opt to revise their current plans prior to the end of the eight-year period, but by the 2031-32 school year, all districts must transition to the new Section 3012-e. This new evaluation system returns the design of evaluations back to school districts and delinks state assessments from the evaluation of teachers and principals. Click here to read the full update.

June 27, 2024

Governor Receives New APPR Legislation

On June 26, legislation that revises teacher and principal evaluations was sent to the governor for either her signature or veto. She has until July 8 to make this decision. This bill was passed unanimously by the Senate and Assembly. The proposed legislation provides an eight-year transition period for school districts to revise their current APPR plans. Professional evaluations would no longer be linked to state assessments, thereby providing additional flexibility for evaluating professional growth and for the process and methodology to be implemented. Click here to read the full update.

May 10, 2024

News from the New York State Education Department

On May 6-7, the board of regents held its monthly meeting. The key topics of the agenda include a report on the blue ribbon commission, state aid, certification, and a broad range of regulatory actions.

Regulatory Actions
Posthumous Diplomas

This regulatory action went into effect on 5/7 and is scheduled for permanent adoption in September, 2024. The regulatory action allows school districts to award a high school diploma to a student who was enrolled in the school district at the time of death. The parents or persons in parental relationship to the student must make such a request. Click here to read the full update.

May 3, 2024

News From The US Department of Education

On Thursday, May 2, 2024 Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten held an “office hours” meeting/discussion on past FAFSA. The meeting reviewed challenges and “fixes” that the USDE has made to the FAFSA process. The deputy secretary was very interested in hearing from the participant ways that they were actively supporting seniors regarding FAFSA completion. We were fortunate to have Mr. Craig Chandler, high school principal from the Mohonasen School District, join the deputy secretary in this meeting. Key points made during the meeting are as follow. Click here to read the full update.

April 22, 2024

News from the Legislature

This past weekend final budget bills were passed by the legislature. While these bills still need to be signed by the Governor, we wanted to provide members with the most current information on what was included in the budget. The following are some of the key components of the education-related items. Click here to read the full update.

April 18, 2024

Revisions to Section 155.17 of the Regulations of the Commissioner, regarding district-wide school safety plans, are being proposed by the Board of Regents based on changes in education, law, and recommendations from the School Safety Task Force. Click here to read the full update.

April 8, 2024

Government Relations Update, Including Funding Opportunities

As we post this government relations update, the legislature has not passed a final budget. SAANYS and our education board colleagues have communicated to the legislature urging their passage as soon as possible. The continued prolongation of the process will have an increasing impact on school districts. We also continue to urge the legislature not to act on the governor’s proposal regarding the use of a ten-year CPI rate and the discontinued use of save harmless. We will update our members on any news of a final budget.

Click here to read the full update.

 

March 28, 2024

New from US Department of Education

SAANYS was invited along with four other states to meet with Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten to discuss changes to the FAFSA application and the desired goal of increasing the rate of FAFSA completions. Kevin Casey, executive director, Felicia Thomas-Williams of the Brentwood Central School District, and Cindy Gallagher, SAANYS director of government relations met with Deputy Secretary Marten and senior USDE staff on behalf of SAANYS. We are appreciative of the efforts of NASSP to coordinate this meeting.

Click here to the read the full update.

March 20, 2024

As many of you will recall, movement to revise the current APPR system began in earnest last spring. Negotiations came very close to producing legislation that would provide increased district flexibility and delink student state assessment scores from professional evaluations. Those efforts did not come to fruition when the legislative session concluded, however, discussion between key stakeholders continued throughout the summer and fall.

Click here to read the full update.

February 15, 2024

News from NYSED

The Board of Regents held their February meeting this Monday and Tuesday. The meeting focused on the state budget, certification proposals, My Brother’s Keeper and regulatory actions. The following is a summary of regulatory issues and items for discussion.

Regulatory Action
Epinephrine Auto-Injectors

This emergency action presents conforming language to Chapter 422 of the Laws of 2023 which permits schools, BOCES, charter schools, and non-public schools, to provide and maintain epinephrine auto-injectors. It also allows authorized employees to administer the injectors in an emergency situation. Informational materials must be provided to all teachers and such materials must be developed by the Commissioner of Health. Click here to read the full article. 

 

January 26, 2024

Literacy Initiative
At its January 10th kick-off conference, SED began a literacy initiative to enhance teacher knowledge and skills in the science of reading. The SED website provides literacy briefings and resources on key instructional strategies aligned with reading science.

Public Hearing on Mayoral Control
On January 29th, SED will host a public hearing at the New Dorp High School on mayoral control of the NYC schools. The hearing will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the public may attend and/or submit written testimony.

Click here to read the full update.

January 16, 2024

Governor Hochul presented an overview of her FY 2025 budget. Overall, the executive budget proposes a total of $233 billion, without cuts or tax increases. This amount represents 4.5 percent growth. The governor outlined the following as her highest priorities:

• Crime – taking on stubborn categories of crime
• Rebuilding the mental health system
• Focusing on children and families
• Improving affordability
• Advancing healthcare initiatives
• Ensuring economic competitiveness

Click here to read the full update.

January 9, 2024

Governor Hochul presented her State of the State address to the Legislature in the Assembly Chamber. The address included nineteen major sections. There were three sections related to education with other educational topics included in other areas of her address. The following provides a summary of the key educational elements addressed in the State of the State. Click here to read the full update.

Key Educational Components of the State of the State:

• Getting Back to the Basics of Reading
• Higher Education
• Mental Health Initiative

Other Initiatives:

• Social Media
• Expanding Swimming Access and Safety

December 21, 2023

2024 Final Exam Regents Schedule

Updated Elementary and Intermediate 2024 Testing Schedules

Read the full update

December 14, 2023

2023 Workforce Survey Results NYS

2022-23 New York State Report Card

Read the full update.

December 1, 2023

2022-23 Enrollment Data –NYSED has released the 2022-23 district enrollment data.

Regents Schedules

2023–24 Elementary- and Intermediate-level Testing Schedule

2024 June Regents Exam Schedule

August Regents Schedule

Read the full update.

November 13, 2023

The NYS Board of Regents met today with the primary focus of this first day being the Report on the Blue Ribbon Commission’s Recommendations on Graduation Measures. Read in full.

 

November 9, 2023

November Board of Regents Meeting

• Resources for Ukrainian Parents and Students
• Mid-State Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network

 Special Education Youth Advisory Panel Openings

Read in full.

November 3, 2023

Follow-up to Questions Raised at the SAANYS Annual Conference

The SAANYS Annual Conference provided many opportunities to listen to excellent presenters and connect with colleagues from across the state. During the government relations presentation, several questions were raised and we thought that clarifying those questions would benefit all members.

Mandated Reporter Training

The question raised was “Do all mandated reporters need to complete the updated training?” Yes, according to the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), all mandated reporters must complete the updated training that was effective 11/1/22. The training must be completed by 4/1/25.

Salary Cap Waiver

The question raised was whether the waiver was extended and if it is likely to be suspended again through 2025? The cap of $35,000 for retiree earnings was extended until June 30, 2024. As this cap has only been waived on a year-by-year basis, it is likely that staffing shortages in schools will play a large part in decisions to continue its use or not. We will have a better understanding of this issue as state budget negotiations unfold. SAANYS will continue to advocate for its continued extension.

Funding Opportunities

School Mental Health and Violence Interruption Grants Workshop

Senator Gillibrand is hosting a statewide briefing on federal and state mental health and school safety grant funding. Representatives from the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, and NYS Departments of Education and Health will speak on resources and support to schools for student mental health initiatives. CSA President Henry Rubio will be introducing the senator.

Gun Violence Prevention through Community -led Youth -based Programs

This program is to support community-based organizations to create safe spaces for youth in areas with high rates of gun violence. The spaces are intended for youth ages 12-24 years of age so that they may engage in a wide range of supports, including therapeutic assistance. $2,500,000 has been allocated for these two-year programs.

NYS Smart Scholars Early College High School Program

A request for proposals has been issued by NYSED for public schools, BOCES, and eligible higher education institutions to create partnerships to increase high school graduation rates and college completion.

Laws Signed By the Governor

Corporal Punishment in Schools

The governor signed a bill banning the use of corporal punishment in schools. The law prohibits “teachers, administrators, officers, employees, or agents of a school from using the practices.” The commissioner is required to promulgate rules and regulations to implement this law.

Funding for Regional School Food Infrastructure Grants

$10 million has been allocated to support school projects to improve meal preparation and distribution for K-12 students. Resources will be provided to allow schools to improve the process and preparation of farm products to make it possible to cook fresh, scratch-made meals for students. Due on 1/24/24.

September 27, 2023

Commissioner Ruling on Biometric Identifying Technology in Schools

Today the Commissioner released a determination on the use of facial recognition technology and biometric identifying technology in schools. Read in full.

August 8, 2023

• Deadline for Recover from COVID Grants – The deadline for the electronic application submission is extended to September 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm. If a district has already submitted their application, they may revised and resubmit. Contact recovsrfp@nysed.gov for further assistance.
• Use of Biometric Identifying Technology in Schools – In 2021, the legislature placed a moratorium on the purchase or use of biometric identification technology (BITS) until the commissioner of education authorized such purchase and further, the commissioner was directed to issue a report on the use of BITS in educational settings.
• NYSED Statement on Supports to School Districts Regarding Asylum-Seekers – “Today, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa and Department staff met with leaders from Governor Kathy Hochul’s Office and the New York City Department of Education to discuss supports for schools and school districts statewide related to the arrival of large numbers of asylum seeker and migrant students.

August 3, 2023

• Governor Hochul announced a historic amount of funding for youth mental health services.
• Federal Appropriations for FY24 – The House and Senate have both proposed funding bills for education.

May 4, 2023

Senate Hearing: S.1040 – the Solutions, Not Suspensions proposed bill

On May 3, 2023, the Senate held its first of two hearings on S.1040 – the Solutions, Not Suspensions proposed bill. The proposed bill would have a significant impact on building administrators’ use of suspensions. SAANYS has been working with many stakeholders on this bill for several years.

The areas of the legislation most problematic for SAANYS members are:

• prohibition of the use of suspensions in grades Pre-K-3,
• the use of a suspension cap of no more than 20 days,
• prohibition of suspensions for acts of willful disobedience,
• requirement of districts to use a wide range of interventions or programs available prior to suspending a student, without requiring the participation of the student, or consent from the parent/legal guardian,
• lack of funding to meet the requirements of the proposed bill.

Our opposition to these components of the legislation is based on valuable information from our members and our government relations committee. If you recall, SAANYS sent a survey out to all members in December 2022 on this topic. Over 66 percent of the respondents opposed prohibition of suspensions in Pre-K-grade 3, 70 percent opposed a 20-day cap on the days for suspension, and 70 percent opposed prohibition suspension for willful disobedience.

SAANYS is indebted to the presentation of testimony by two of our members: Dr. Gloria Jackson, elementary principal, Brentwood School District and W. Charles Brandy, director of social studies, Buffalo City School District. Their presentations were outstanding and provided the Senate with an excellent perspective on how and when suspensions are used. They pointed out that the first goal is always to keep students in school, they discussed the types of strategies used prior to a suspension being issued, and what specific incidences required the use of suspensions. Dr. Jackson and Mr. Brandy were asked many questions from the senators and again provided compelling information on this topic. Many thanks to Dr. Jackson and Mr. Brandy for their dedicated work on this testimony and their professionalism on this complex issue.

Along with Dr. Jackson and Mr. Brandy’s presentations, SAANYS submitted written testimony on suspensions, which can be found here.

The link to the entire hearing may be found at: https://www.nysenate.gov/calendar/public-hearings/may-03-2023/joint-public-hearing-examine-school-policies-related-discipline

Should you have any questions or comments regarding the SAANYS testimony or general comments on this topic, please feel free to contact Cindy Gallagher at cgallagher@saanys.org or by calling 518 782-0600.

 

April 19, 2023

April Board of Regents Meeting

• Regulations Related to the Initial Provisional Renewal, and Time Extension Requirements – NYSED is recommending that changes be made to both provisional and professional certification due to the inability of building administrators and other classification areas to complete requirements in the expected time frames.
• Regulations Prohibiting Corporal Punishment – The Board of Regents determined that is was necessary to reexamine existing regulations that protected student safety regarding corporal punishment and isolation interventions.
• Prohibition of the Use of Indigenous Mascots – The Board unanimously voted to prohibit the use of indigenous names, mascots, and imagery in all public schools. School districts will be required to adhere to this decision by the end of the 2024-25 school year.
• Update on Graduation Measures Blue Ribbon Commission – As the Blue-Ribbon Commission continues its work, recent focus has been to develop a portrait of a graduate of the 21st century.
• New York’s Statewide Assessment Strategy – The Board of Regents undertook an endeavor to examine the values and purposes of New York’s assessment strategy and has been doing that work for over a year.
• Four Year Graduation Rates for the 2018 Cohort of Students – This group of students entered grade 9 in 2018 and are the cohort that experienced three years of the COVID pandemic and had Regents exams suspended in years 2020-22.

April 5, 2023

• Since last week, over 50 more swatting calls have been made. School districts in Central New York, Long Island, the Southern Tier, Northern Region, and Capital District school districts have been impacted. School districts in other states are reporting similar incidents and the FBI is investigating the sources of the prank calls. Some of the perpetrators are thought to be foreign actors. Please see this Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul on Latest School ‘Swatting’ Threats.

April 3, 2023

• The governor is issuing a budget extender until April 10, which will keep state government operating. It is anticipated that the legislature will approve the extender.
• Make it or break it! This spring’s district budget choices matter tremendously for the years ahead. This webinar is conducted by Edunomics Lab which studies education finance out of Georgetown University. This is a 30-minute webinar at 1:00 pm ET on Wednesday April 5 and will focus on key issues facing district budget decisions this spring.
• New Report from MHANYS on Supporting a Peaceful and Calm Educational Space – the Mental Health Association of New York State released a report looking at wellness spaces across schools in NYS. The report provides information from school districts that have implemented safe spaces for students. Various models and implementation strategies are discussed.

April 1, 2023

• School Safety Memo from Commissioner and NYS Police – This past week has seen increased incidents of violence and threats of violence targeted at schools both nationally and in our state.

March 22, 2023

• SAANYS DC Advocacy Day – On March 26-29, 2023, a team of 10 SAANYS members will be headed to Washington, DC to advocate for both federal and state level support and funding important to building leaders across the nation.
• This week in Albany was filled with Education Committee meetings and  joint meetings on the one-house bills.

March 15, 2023

March Board of Regents Meeting

• NYSED Technical Advisory Committee and Standard Setting – The Technical Advisory Committee provided a comprehensive presentation on testing and test development.
• Adult Education Programs and Policy Apprenticeship – This report was an update on program and services offered through apprenticeship opportunities in adult education programs.
• Supporting English Language Learners and Multilingual Learners in NYS – This was a comprehensive review of the work of the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages.
• Program Requirements for School Counselor Education Programs – The Board discussed previously introduced regulations pertaining to course work that needs to be included in higher education programs leading to an initial and professional school counselor certificate.

February 14, 2023

February Board of Regents Meeting

• Restarting the Accountability System – The proposed regulations align the USDE approval of the NYSED waiver to adjust the accountability system to a regulatory framework.
• Revisions to Due Process – Proposed revisions to Section 200.5 were discussed for final adoption in June.
• Revised Regulations on a P-20 Pilot for Principal Preparation – In 2019, seven pilots were established between IHEs, school districts (Buffalo CSD, Mount Vernon City School District, New York City Public Schools, Rochester CSD, Schenectady CSD, Syracuse City School District, and Yonkers CSD) and a leadership development partner.
• Revisions to Student Teaching – Proposed revisions for student teaching experiences.
• Supporting Student Wellbeing and Equity: Effective School Discipline Practices from NYS Districts – This was a very comprehensive discussion item that included research presented by Dr. Edward Fergus and respondents from six school districts (Vernon Verona Sherrill SD, Oceanside UFSD, Perry CSD, NYC DOE, Ossining UFSD, and Geneva City Schools).
• Establishing the Indigenous Culture and Language Studies (All Grades) – The Board of Regents proposes to establish a certificate dedicated to teaching indigenous cultures and languages.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup – This presentation provided an update on My Brother’s Keeper and the far-reaching impact of that initiative.

February 13, 2023

• SAANYS Testimony Before the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on the Executive Proposal – On February 8, 2023, SAANYS presented testimony on the governor’s proposed budget. SAANYS presented the testimony with a panel that included NYSUT, UFT, CSA, and SAANYS.
• Webinar for the Affordable Connectivity Program – The FCC, NASSP, NAESP, and Department of Education are hosting a webinar on 2/15/23 on how households can sign up for ACP and find providers.

February 2, 2023

• On February 1, 2023, the governor presented her statutorily required proposed budget.This sets in motion a process in which the two houses of the legislature review the proposed budget, propose changes, and then negotiate a final budget. For SAANYS, this also begins the process of analyzing each budget proposal, presenting testimony on how the proposal will impact building administrators, and meeting with legislators to articulate our concerns and/or support. Click here for a summary of the key components of the governor’s proposed budget as it pertains to education.
• SED PowerPoint on 2018 Cohort and 2018 Cohort Data Posted to NYSED Website – SAANYS was informed today by SED that the 2018 Cohort data was posted to their website and they also sent along a PPT that provides an overview of the information.

January 18, 2023

• Results from SAANYS’ Membership Survey on School Discipline.

January 12, 2023

The Board of Regents held its first meeting of 2023 on January 9-10, 2023.

• Educator Certification for Candidates from Another State or Territory of the US or DC – The proposal allows a candidate from another US state or territory to receive NYS certification by demonstrating “comparable,” instead of equivalent, experiences and education.
• Recommendations for Reducing Disparities in and Reforming Discipline – SAANYS has participated in the NYS School Safety Task Force since its inception. SAANYS sought the advice of the membership throughout the development this report and SAANYS has in turn expressed the strong concerns of members to the Task Force. SED acknowledged that the report did not have the unanimous support of all Task Force members.
• Via this short survey (click here), SAANYS is seeking member input on these recommendations and strongly urges you to take a few minutes to share your opinions. The recommendations made in this report will have longterm impacts on building-level administrators and program directors.

January 10, 2023

• Governor Hochul gave her State of the State address today, highlighting achievements of the past year and identifying high-priority initiatives.

January 5, 2023

• What Are the Skills and Abilities Most Needed by NY State Graduates to be Successful in Their Chosen Post-Secondary Path? – The Board of Regents and SED are seeking the input from administrators on the above question through the ThoughtExchange platform by clicking on the above link. This will allow members to share their responses, see the responses from others and begin to see emerging priorities.