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Dear Colleagues,
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! This week, and every week, I want to express my appreciation and admiration for the work our teachers do every day to help the children of New York State grow and thrive. All week on
Twitter,
Facebook, and
LinkedIn, we have encouraged anyone whose lives have been touched by a teacher to express their gratitude and #ThankATeacher. Thank you to all teachers who work hard every day to educate and better the lives of our students.
In this edition of News and Notes, I provide information about the following:
Thank you again for all you do for the students of New York State.
Sincerely,
MaryEllen Elia
Commissioner
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 2018 My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Symposium and
Inaugural Class of MBK Fellows
NYSED hosted the 2018 New York State My Brother's Keeper Symposium on April 27-28 in Albany. More than 600 students, parents, educational leaders, and citizens came together to discuss successful strategies, share resources, and hear directly from students about the impact that MBK has had on their lives. The event also included national experts in the field of human and child development who focused on how to ensure boys and young men of color are given opportunities to succeed in school and life.
The Fellows will be a part of a statewide MBK Fellows Workgroup, which will give them the chance to offer input on the creation and implementation of a statewide MBK Mentoring Network.
The 36 Fellows represent 18 New York State school districts and attended the Second Annual NYS MBK Statewide Symposium held in Albany with their mentors.
In this video, My Brother's Keeper students (including several MBK Fellows), school administrators, Chancellor Rosa, Vice Chancellor Brown, Regent Young, and Commissioner Elia talk about the positive impact of the New York State MBK initiative. Watch the video here.
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As part of New York's student data privacy law, NYSED will develop regulations that establish standards for the security and privacy of student data. NYSED will also seek the input of parents and other stakeholders to develop additional elements that must be included in every educational agency's parents bill of rights for data privacy and security.
In order to seek input, NYSED is holding a series of public forums to help us engage with the public and stakeholders. The forums are underway and will continue in locations across the state through June 18. We hope you will attend a forum in your region and encourage parents to attend as well.
In addition to participating in the public forums, individuals may also submit written comments electronically through June 18 to PrivacyForumComment@nysed.gov.
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New Guidance and Resources for Schools to Implement Social and Emotional Learning
New guidance and resources will soon be available for school districts to support implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) benchmarks, policies and programs. The State Education Department presented the materials to the Board of Regents at its meeting in Albany this week.
As a strategy to promote equity in education for all children, social emotional learning is a key component in the Board and Department's work through participating in the New York State Safe Schools Task Force, implementing New York's ESSA plan, developing a School Climate Index, and providing resources to support mental health education in schools.
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Regents Act to Amend Dignity for All Students Act Regulations
At its meeting this week, the Board of Regents acted to amend the
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) regulations to include examples of types of incidents of harassment, bullying or discrimination to be reported and investigated as possible violations of DASA. The amendment is intended to provide further clarification to school administrators, employees and students on the types of incidents of harassment, bullying and discriminations to be reported to administrators and investigated by the school Dignity Act Coordinator.
Public comments will be accepted May 23 through July 23.
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Southern Cayuga Central School Teacher Receives 2018 Yavner Teacher Award
At its meeting this week, the Board of Regents presented Southern Cayuga Central School District teacher William Zimpfer with the
Louis E. Yavner Teacher Award for his outstanding contributions to educating others about the Holocaust. The Board of Regents established the Yavner Teacher Award and the late Regent Emeritus Louis E. Yavner of New York City, who served on the Board from 1975-1981, funded the award, which recognizes teachers who have made outstanding contributions to teaching about the Holocaust and other human rights violations.
Because of Mr. Zimpfer's efforts, the Southern Cayuga Central School District in 2009 became one of 11 sites nationwide to receive a sapling from the same chestnut tree that Anne Frank could see from her upper story windows while she was in hiding. Anne Frank's diary contains several references to the tree, which she considered a symbol of hope. The work of Mr. Zimpfer, and the Anne Frank Tree Project, has made the Southern Cayuga community a permanent place of remembrance and reflection for the community and students to come and learn from the atrocities of the Holocaust.
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Public Comment Period on Proposed Every Student Succeeds Act Regulations
The public comment period on proposed regulations to prepare for implementation of New York's approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan began this week and will continue through July 9.
Amendments and additions to Commissioner's Regulations are necessary to implement New York's approved ESSA plan. The final approved ESSA plan is posted on NYSED's ESSA web page.
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New Exhibitions at the State Museum
The New York State Museum recently opened an ongoing exhibition highlighting never-before-displayed artifacts from Fort Orange, the 17th-century precursor of the state's capital city. The exhibition, titled "a small fort, which our people call Fort Orange," examines the momentous archaeological discovery of the fort in 1970, as well as the lasting impact of Dutch settlement of New York 400 years ago. The title is taken from The New World by Johannes De Laet, a director of the Dutch West India Company, recorded in 1625. The exhibition is supported as part of the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York and in partnership with Historic Albany Foundation.
The State Museum also recently opened its
Art of the Erie Canal exhibition. On display through September 23, 2018, this companion exhibition to the State Museum's current Enterprising Waters: New York's Erie Canal looks at the art inspired by the canal and the opportunities it afforded artists, both trained and untrained, working in a variety of media, such as paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, ceramics, and beadwork.
A selection of 60 works comes from the collections of the New York State Museum, the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie, and other cultural institutions and private lenders from across the state. The Erie Canal, the foremost engineering marvel of the 19th century, sparked the imagination of artists in America and abroad. These works represent just a small sample of the wealth of Erie Canal art made over the course of its first 150 years.
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Education Technology Conference
Personalizing Learning: Technology-Enhanced Instruction and Practices to Meet the Needs of All New York State Students
NYSED recognizes that technology is a powerful tool that provides opportunities to more efficiently and effectively personalize learning, including providing individualized support and resources, tailoring instruction and learning experiences to support individual learners' strengths and needs, and promoting culturally- and linguistically- responsive learning environments.
The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education will host a one-day conference on May 24 in Albany. Conference participants will explore the ways that schools and districts can use technology to facilitate personalized learning to meet the needs of all New York State students.
Educators in all roles are invited to join the conversation and share expertise as we work together to scale successful programs and practices and ensure all students receive a quality education that prepares them for school, work, and life in the 21st Century. New York State educators, administrators, and educational leaders in P-12 schools, districts, BOCES, RICs, institutes of higher education, public libraries, other USNY cultural institutions, and non-profit educational-related organizations are highly encouraged to attend.
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Earth Science Workshop for Teachers
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Join us in July for the New York State Museum's Annual
Earth Science Teacher Workshop in Albany. Workshop leaders will be New York State Museum geology and paleontology staff, Drs. Lisa Amati, Marian Lupulescu, Andrew Kozlowski, and Chuck Ver Straeten.
The workshop provides a three-day, hands-on educational experience for New York State Earth Science/Physical Setting teachers. Participants are immersed in geology and paleontology for a minimum of 8 hours each day, totaling 24 contact hours of continuing education credit. The workshop provides an informal setting for learning through interaction between earth science teachers and research experts, through which participants will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of New York-specific topics; refine their observational and interpretive skills; and inquire, formulate, and test their scientific practices and applications.
Find more information about the workshop location, dates, eligibility, and professional development credit on the
New York State Museum's website. Applications are due June 15.
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Summer Reading at New York Libraries
The myOn library has a collection of over 6,000 fiction and nonfiction e-books geared toward children from birth to 8th grade, many with recorded audio and other useful features.
The goal of the
NYSED Summer Reading pilot partnership with myOn is to provide additional resources to keep children reading through the summer by providing them with an abundance of reading material, in school, through the public library, and on their devices through the myON mobile app.
The myON pilot partnership will run from May through September.
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