Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

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merryl tisch

tallon talents

New York
January 31, 2017

Changing education is like ‘moving a battleship on the ocean’: Departing NY Regent reflects on his tenure

Regent James Tallon, the board's budget guru, will not seek another term on the state's Board of Regents.

you name it

New York
November 21, 2016

‘Common Core’ is out of style. Could the ‘I [heart] NY Standards’ be in?

A group is floating ideas for Common Core replacement names, including the "Empire State Learning Standards" and "New York's Academic Standards."

roundtable with rosa

New York
May 9, 2016

New chancellor Rosa says she’s concerned about charters; wants more options for English learners

Chancellor Betty Rosa opened up about a range of contentious education issues during a whirlwind tour of New York City this weekend.

wish list

New York
March 30, 2016

What does the opt-out movement want this year?

As students gear up to take the exams this year, there is a lingering question: What does the opt-out movement want to gain from boycotting tests again?

"a new view"

New York
March 21, 2016

Rosa, new head of New York education policy: As a parent, ‘I would opt out’

Newly elected Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa’s statements underscore the striking nature of the leadership shift.

a new era

New York
March 21, 2016

Starting a new era, Betty Rosa named Regents chancellor as Tisch steps down

Former Bronx superintendent and principal Betty Rosa was named the head of New York’s Board of Regents on Monday.

change at the top

New York
March 15, 2016

What Betty Rosa would bring from the Bronx if she becomes NY’s top education policymaker

Rosa's journey began as a public school student in the Bronx, where she worked to learn English after spending her early childhood in Puerto Rico.
New York
March 8, 2016

Continuing a transition, Board of Regents gains three members

Luis Reyes of Hunter College will fill an open at-large seat. Nan Eileen Mead, a public school parent on District 3’s education council, will serve a one-year term.

regents race

New York
March 2, 2016

District 3 CEC member, Hunter College educator frontrunners for open Regents spots

A member of the Upper West Side’s Community Education Council and a Hunter College educator are likely choices for two open seats on New York’s Board of Regents.

talking testing

New York
February 23, 2016

Opt-out movement unlikely to provoke sanctions from state, this time around

Though a federal mandate requires students to take state tests, the Board of Regents is unlikely to impose sanctions for low participation this year.

change at the top

New York
February 15, 2016

Another Regent set to resign, leaving more room for an ideological shift

Charles Bendit will resign from the state’s education policymaking body this month, creating a surprise third opening as the board undergoes a seismic transition.

Q&A

New York
February 10, 2016

In their search for Tisch’s replacement, lawmakers ask, Did you teach?

On Wednesday, legislators vetted candidates for the Board of Regents seat that Chancellor Merryl Tisch will vacate in March.

who's who

New York
January 25, 2016

Meet the Regents who might replace Merryl Tisch — and change New York education

The contest to head New York’s Board of Regents and lead a new era of state education policy is heating up.

a re-evaluation

New York
December 14, 2015

In big shift, Regents vote to exclude state tests from teacher evals until 2019

Teachers will receive two ratings every year beginning in 2016, but only the "transition rating" that does not include state test results will count.

struggling school skirmish

New York
December 4, 2015

After Tisch attacks Renewal goals, city says school closures possible next year

After Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch called the city's goals for some troubled schools "ridiculous," a city spokeswoman said some schools could be closed next year.

charter approval

New York
November 16, 2015

As charter approvals dwindle, state ed officials begin to ask why

Two city charter schools got preliminary approval from the Board of Regents — but the overall number of new charter schools might reach its lowest number in years.
New York
November 4, 2015

Tisch urges Cuomo to stick with the Common Core despite the backlash

A week after announcing her plans to step down as Board of Regents chancellor, Merryl Tisch urged the governor to stand by the Common Core standards and exams.
New York
October 28, 2015

What Tisch’s departure will, and won’t, mean for New York education debates

Supporters and critics of Tisch's tenure believe her exit poses some threat to the policies she helped implement.
New York
October 26, 2015

Merryl Tisch, NY’s education leader through Race to the Top era, will step down in 2016

Merryl Tisch, who has come to represent the turbulent changes of the Race to the Top era, won’t seek another term as Regents chancellor.
New York
October 19, 2015

To anti-testing crowd, Tisch and Elia defend state assessments with caveats

The state’s top education officials struck a measured tone when discussing the Common Core standards earlier this month.
New York
September 15, 2015

New York teachers may soon be able to challenge state growth scores

Merryl Tisch said she sympathized with Long Island teacher Sheri Lederman, who is suing the State Education Department over her 2014 evaluation.
New York
September 15, 2015

To reduce Common Core acrimony, NY’s top education official floats renaming the standards

“We can call them the Empire ‘State’ standards’ or ‘New York’s higher standards,'" Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch said Tuesday.

waive goodbye

New York
July 20, 2015

Tisch: I’d ‘think twice’ before opting into state testing if I had a special-needs child

After rejection from the Obama administration, state education officials are weighing how to exempt certain students from testing requirements.

Turnover at the top

New York
July 8, 2015

Amid transition at New York ed department, Ken Wagner to decamp for Rhode Island

Ken Wagner, a top state education official who took on a bigger role after John King’s resignation, has been tapped to be Rhode Island’s next education commissioner.

in brief

New York
June 16, 2015

New evaluation rules win final approval, with some Regents still opposed

School districts will be allowed to create plans giving state tests and locally selected tests equal weight in a teacher’s final rating.

splintered board

New York
June 15, 2015

Debate over evaluation delays ends with a compromise, but Regents remain divided

The state’s education policymaking body tentatively agreed Monday to make it easier for school districts to delay overhauling their teacher evaluation systems.

a new era

New York
May 26, 2015

MaryEllen Elia, former Florida superintendent, is state’s next education chief

Elia spent 10 years overseeing Hillsborough County's schools, where she won $100 million from Gates Foundation to overhaul teacher evals and made headlines for union collaboration.

Matrix madness

New York
May 19, 2015

State’s evaluation proposal prompts frustration, dissent among Regents

State education officials unveiled recommendations for a new teacher evaluation system earlier in May, easing few concerns about the bitterly contested policy.

By the numbers

New York
May 14, 2015

In a shift, New York state tests now more difficult to pass than national exams

New York is one of only two states where more students are earning proficient scores on the “nation’s report card” than are passing the state’s own standardized tests.

#evalapalooza

New York
May 8, 2015

Calls to delay teacher eval overhaul grow more urgent in Albany

A consensus is building around limiting the role of outside evaluators in teacher observations and that the Nov. 15 deadline for adopting the plans must be extended.

to the summit

New York
May 7, 2015

At ‘evalapalooza,’ officials urged to limit use of tests, give districts breathing room

Between coffee breaks, panelists at what Twitter dubbed #evalapalooza offered dozens of recommendations for how state education officials should finalize the system.

summit size-up

New York
May 7, 2015

Tisch: Consensus from Thursday summit should guide evaluation redesign

The eight-hour summit will include more than 30 panelists, representing nearly as many organizations, broken out into seven separate panels.

pumping the brakes

New York
April 23, 2015

Fariña: State shouldn’t force quick changes to teacher evaluations

Chancellor Carmen Fariña joined a growing number of education officials who say districts need more time to implement a new teacher evaluation system.

extra time

New York
April 13, 2015

Regents seek extension for districts on teacher eval deadlines

State education officials offered a grim prognosis of the chances that districts will smoothly be able to implement new teacher evaluation systems.

an objective measure

New York
April 7, 2015

As new teacher evaluation system looms, Tisch defends need for state tests

Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch continues to defend the need for state tests as an objective measure in the new teacher evaluation system.

'two tiers'

New York
April 3, 2015

Tisch: Top city schools could be exempt from new teacher evaluation system

They include elite specialized high schools like Stuyvesant, citywide gifted and talented programs, and hugely popular zoned elementary schools like P.S. 321.

close reading (of the law)

New York
April 1, 2015

Tisch plays down tests’ role in new evaluations

In her first comments since a new evaluation law was passed, Tisch seeks to play down the role of test scores.

transition time

New York
March 17, 2015

From March: At uncertain moment, Tisch is mum on her future as Regents chancellor

“Serve out my term? Absolutely,” Tisch said earlier this year. Beyond that? “We’ll talk about it in a couple of months."

Pro-tester

New York
March 16, 2015

Merryl Tisch: Opting out of the state exams is a ‘terrible mistake’

In a speech, the Board of Regents chief said officials would try to convince parents of the importance of the annual tests, which she compared to medical exams.

Turnover at the top

New York
March 11, 2015

New Queens Regent reflects New York’s shifting ed policy landscape

A former teacher and administrator, Judith Chin is one of six Regents who are career educators and no fan of the state's implementation of the Common Core.

charter authority figures

New York
February 9, 2015

City’s charter-school oversight again questioned by Regents, who raise eyebrows themselves

For a third straight month, officials raised questions about charter schools under the city’s supervision.

'Shoots of Green'

New York
February 2, 2015

As state reviews city’s turnaround plans, Regents chief sees progress at a troubled school

Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch was impressed by what she found on a recent visit to Automotive High School, one of many struggling schools the city is under pressure from the state to improve.

agreeing to agree

New York
January 12, 2015

Regents approve contested charter renewals as city promises a new oversight process

Thirteen city charter schools are poised to see their charters renewed, one month after state officials rejected some of the same applications and put new pressure on the city to crack down on struggling charter schools.

authority figures

New York
January 12, 2015

Power struggle over charter schools to continue as city officials head to Albany

In an unusual face-off, officials from the city education department are set to appear before the Board of Regents on Monday to defend their recommendation to keep a set of city charter schools open.

looking for ideas

New York
December 18, 2014

Cuomo seeks King’s ‘best advice’ on crafting aggressive education agenda

In a letter, a top advisor for Cuomo writes that the governor plans to “pursue an aggressive legislative package to improve public education” and asks outgoing John King to offer his positions on a variety of education issues.

a closer look

New York
November 17, 2014

Restaffing plan for two troubled schools faces scrutiny

A restaffing plan for two of the city’s lowest-performing schools faces scrutiny by state officials who want to see drastic changes and from critics who worry the plan could trip up other schools.

getting to graduation

New York
September 15, 2014

State officials discuss allowing high schoolers to swap history Regents test for a career exam

The Board of Regents moved one step closer to giving students new options in their pursuit of a high school diploma on Monday.

change of pace

New York
August 28, 2014

Education leaders urge patience for de Blasio's pre-K plans

Top city and state education officials said they were optimistic about pre-K, but also worked to manage expectations about the rollout of thousands of new seats at a discussion on Thursday.

albany report

New York
January 13, 2014

Tisch calls NYSUT's "no confidence" vote a political "sideshow"

Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch today dismissed new criticism from the state teachers union as a "sideshow" more motivated by politics than a commitment to addressing challenges posed by education policies being implemented across the state.
New York
December 4, 2013

Common Core meetings coming to NYC next week

Merry Tisch, pictured above with librarian Paul McIntosh on a visit in October to Wadlegh Secondary School.   Commissioner John King and…
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