Peter DeWitt’s latest blog post strongly criticizes the leadership of New York state for ignoring the cries of parents and educators to stop the punitive policies.

He begins:

Where education is concerned in New York State, the past few years have been both painful and chaotic. It sounds crazy doesn’t it? How can ‘reform’ cause so much controversy, disruption and anger? Onlookers on the outside just assumed public schools were whining because they were unwilling to change, but as they scratched the surface they realized how wrong those changes were, and that they were painful–especially to students.

It began a couple of years ago when Governor Cuomo called himself the “Lobbyist for Children.” As he stood on his bully pulpit, touting statistics, he slashed budgets, increased accountability, and piled on mandates. Besides those changes he did something much worse, he tried to destroy the confidence that the public had in public education.

Educators saw the Common Core State Standards coming, and something interesting happened, many were looking forward to the national standards. Teachers, who have long taught transient students, or just those that came from a lower grade level seemingly unprepared, valued the idea that everyone would be required to teach the same standards. Maybe then, they thought, that there would not be so many gaps in the learning of their incoming students.

Unfortunately, that is when things started to unravel.

Today, the public has no confidence in Commissioner John King and no confidence in the New York Board of Regents. The Regents are appointed by the State Assembly and they are accountable to no one. The Commissioner is appointed by the Regents, and he is accountable only to them. Between King and the Regents, the voice of parents and educators carries no weight.

Only two members of the Board of Regents consistently oppose the board’s tone-deaf policies: Kathleen Cashin, a veteran educator who represents Brooklyn; and Betty A. Rosa, a veteran educator who represents the Bronx. Cashin and Rosa keep asking tough questions, keep dissenting, keep demanding responsiveness, but they are rebuffed and ignored.

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo and Commissioner King have one thing in common: They are determined to damage public education, to make the public believe that their public schools are failures, and to enact policies that harm the schools.

DeWitt believes that Cuomo–who is running for re-election–should change course.* King should resign. Furthermore, the Assembly should replace the four docile, passive Regents whose terms are expiring and appoint Regents who actually care about the future of our public schools.

A great column from a conscientious educator!

*To readers: DeWitt did not call for Cuomo to resign. He wants Cuomo to pressure King to resign. he called for new Regents who would chart a new course.