From the Office of Amy Paulin, Assemblymember, District 88, New York State Assembly

Editor's note:  Assemblymember Amy Paulin represents the 88th New York State Assembly District, which includes Scarsdale, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville, Pelham, Pelham Manor, and parts of New Rochelle and White Plains.

May 9, 2018:  Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) voted in favor of legislation to improve teacher evaluations by delinking them from standardized testing and returning control to local school districts (A.10475).

“I fully support this step to provide relief for teachers and students alike and to recognize that what works for one classroom or district may not work for another,” said Assemblywoman Paulin.  “However, it is also a little frustrating to me because we never should have established this link in the first place. As predicted, the emphasis on standardized, high-stakes testing led to unnecessary stress and pressure on students and justifiably provoked outrage among parents in my district and across the state.”

“With our vote, we are sending a message to teachers, parents, and students that the Assembly majority is listening,” said Assemblywoman Paulin.

The legislation makes critical corrections to the teacher evaluation system. First, it would eliminate the mandate that teacher evaluations are to be based on their students’ performance on state-created or administered assessments, including the grades 3 through 8 English Language Arts ("ELA") and math tests. The state mandate, which sparked widespread anger, was put on hold in December of 2015 for four years. The Assembly’s legislation eliminates it completely.

The legislation would also make permanent the provision prohibiting grades 3 through 8 ELA and math state assessments from being included on a student’s permanent record.

“As a member of the Assembly Education Committee, I believe in the basic principle that every child learns differently, and it should be up to the people who know them best – their teachers and school districts – to figure out how to meet their needs,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “I am confident that ending this experiment will empower teachers to focus more on what’s best for the students in front of them and less on the repercussions of a high-stakes test on the horizon.”

Pictured here:  Amy Paulin, Assemblymember, District 88, New York State Assembly.

Photo courtesy Office of Assemblymember Amy Paulin

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