News and Notes: Message from Commissioner Betty A. Rosa

News and Notes

January 2022

Dear Colleagues,

In an effort to streamline New York's pathways to teaching, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) proposed last month to modify teacher certification requirements to reduce barriers to certification while maintaining rigorous standards. The proposed changes would eliminate the requirement for teacher candidates to pass the edTPA and replace it with a teacher performance assessment taken during a candidate’s student teaching or similar clinical experience in a New York State-registered teacher preparation program. Public comment on the proposal will be accepted through February 28, 2022 via [email protected].

At its January meeting, the Board of Regents adopted two additional proposed regulatory amendments to streamline teacher certification requirements. The first proposed amendment relates to assessment requirements in school district leader, school district building leader, and Transitional D programs. Public comment on this proposed amendment will begin on January 26, 2022.

The second proposed amendment relates to the exam requirement for the reissuance of an Initial certificate. Public comment on this proposed amendment will begin on January 26, 2022.

Below, you can find information about the following:

January 2022 Regents Examinations Cancelled Due to Ongoing Pandemic
New York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Art & Essay Exhibit
Cultural Education Center to Require Proof of Vaccination or Negative COVID Test for All Visitors
New York State Summer School of the Arts to Offer a Scholarship Program for Students to Attend Regional Arts Programs for Summer 2022
Statement from Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., the Board of Regents and State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address
Statement from Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on Nassau County Executive Order

Sincerely,

Betty A. Rosa

Commissioner

January 2022 Regents Examinations Cancelled

Due to Ongoing Pandemic

The January 2022 administration of the High School Regents Examination Program is cancelled due to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic. This cancellation applies to all Regents Examinations that had been scheduled for the January 2022 Regents Examination period. No decisions have been made regarding the June and August 2022 administrations of Regents Examinations or any other state assessment programs.

At its meeting this week, the Board of Regents adopted proposed amendments to the Commissioner’s regulations to provide an exemption to the January 2022 Regents Examination due to the COVID-19 crisis. Public comment on these amendments will begin on January 26, 2022.

New York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Art & Essay Exhibit

NYSED is kicking off 2022 by honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy through an exhibition of student art and essays that reflect his teaching.

We are thrilled with the quality and breadth of student essays and artwork illustrating the Six Principles and Steps of Nonviolence. The students’ work will be displayed virtually as part of the 2022 New York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Observance.

We will also feature a piece of student art each day on our social media channels through the end of Black History Month in February. Please follow the hashtags #NYSMLK and #StudentsExhibitingMLK on NYSED's social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn).

Cultural Education Center to Require Proof of Vaccination or

Negative COVID Test for All Visitors

Due to evolving concerns regarding COVID-19, and in alignment with recently announced protocols for visitors to the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building in the Empire State Plaza, the Cultural Education Center (CEC) will implement new rules for all visitors, including volunteers, interns, contractors, and vendors, effective January 12, 2022.

All visitors to the CEC, ages five and older, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative COVID test within the past 48 hours. The CEC is located at 222 Madison Avenue, Albany, and houses the New York State Museum, New York State Library, and New York State Archives.

New York State Summer School of the Arts to Offer a

Scholarship Program for Students to Attend

Regional Arts Programs for Summer 2022

The New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) will offer a total of $150,000 in scholarship opportunities for high school students to attend other regional summer arts programs for summer 2022. Students can apply for a scholarship through May 1, 2022, via an online application.

The goal of the scholarship program is to promote access and equity to arts education by providing need-based grants to low-income students pursuing summer learning opportunities. The scholarship application will evaluate financial need and will not include an audition or portfolio component. More information on how to apply is available on the NYSSSA website.

Statement from Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr., the Board of Regents, and State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on

Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

Governor Hochul outlined a vision in her State of the State address to create a more equitable education system to support New York’s diverse student population while serving our schools, teachers, and families.

The Governor’s proposal to address teacher shortages by providing incentives to enter the teaching profession, leveraging our state’s institutions of higher education to expand teacher recruitment, and making higher education more affordable are the steps necessary to build upon the Department’s efforts to grow and sustain a diverse and qualified teacher workforce.

We applaud the Governor’s plan to support the social-emotional needs of students and invest in students’ ongoing academic recovery efforts. We further appreciate the Governor’s advocacy for increased funding to ensure quality services for students and adults with disabilities, as well as her proposal to create safe and supportive climates in schools.

Finally, we thank the Governor for her commitment to increasing the Department’s staffing levels in the Office of Higher Education. This is a critical step toward restoring Department-wide staffing decreases. We look forward to working with the Executive and Legislature in the months ahead to achieve our shared goals.

Statement from Commissioner Betty A. Rosa on

Nassau County Executive Order

Under the authority of Public Health Law § 206, the COVID-19 face-coverings regulation (10 NYCRR 2.60), and the Commissioner of Health’s determinations dated August 26 and December 10, 2021, counties are required to enforce school masking regulations. The regulation, which applies to schools and many other sectors, requires local health departments to enforce school mask mandates (10 NYCRR 2.60 [f] [ii]). The Commissioner of Health can additionally direct the local health department to enforce the regulation under the Public Health Law.

Counties do not have the legal authority to require boards of education to vote on specific issues. School officers take an oath to obey all legal requirements. The State Education Department expects school boards will follow all legal requirements, including the face-covering regulation.