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Hochul needs to bite back big time at NY schools chief Betty Rosa’s blackmail bid
The article argues that New York Governor Kathy Hochul should use budget negotiations to block funding for State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa’s proposed changes to high school graduation standards. It portrays Rosa’s request for additional money as an attempt to pressure the state and says the changes could weaken academic expectations.
The proposal would replace required Regents exams with assessments and portfolios. The article says New York spends more than $36,000 per pupil, about 85% above the national average, and contends that further spending would support consultants and education services rather than improve teaching. These are the opinion piece’s claims; it urges Hochul to withhold transition funding.
In short
- The opinion piece urges Hochul to block funding for the graduation changes.
- The proposal would replace Regents exams with assessments and portfolios.
- It cites New York spending of more than $36,000 per pupil.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Hochul could reasonably argue that public funding should be tied to clear evidence that a major change will improve learning and preserve meaningful standards. If replacing Regents exams with portfolios and other assessments risks making achievement harder to compare, pausing transition money could give the state time to assess the proposal and direct resources towards classroom teaching.
The case against
Rosa could reasonably argue that graduation standards should recognise a broader range of student learning than performance on a single set of exams, and that portfolios or varied assessments may offer a fairer picture of achievement. Withholding transition funding could hinder careful implementation and leave schools without the support needed to develop consistent assessments, while high per-pupil spending alone does not show that the proposed changes would waste money.