Referred to: The Legislative Programs, Education, and Community Services

Committee (Chairman David Donaldson and Legislators Archer, Gregorius, Lopez,

and Wawro)

Legislator Craig Lopez and Legislators Donaldson and Loughran offer the following:

WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 07994 and Senate Bill 06267 have been

introduced in the 2013-2014 Legislative Session which amends Education Law

Section 116 to discontinue implementation of the common core state standards

developed by the common core state standards initiative and declares any action

taken to adopt or implement the common core state standards void; and

WHEREAS, in 2009 and 2010, New York State was offered the chance to

compete for education funding through the “Race to the Top” program created by the

U. S. Department of Education (“ED”); and

WHEREAS, the only way to achieve a score in the competition sufficient to

qualify for funding was to agree to “participation in a consortium of States that is

working toward jointly developing and adopting a common set of K-12 standards”;

and

WHEREAS, the only such “common set of K-12 standards” existent at that

time, or since, is known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative (“CCSSI”)

and was developed without a grant of authority from any state; and

WHEREAS, the CCSSI standards were released in June 2010, and to meet the

ED “Race to the Top” requirements the State had only 60 days to evaluate them and

agree to adopt them and were not offered an option to modify those standards before

their adoption; and

WHEREAS, local education officials, school leaders, teachers, and parents

were not included in the discussion, evaluation and preparation of the CCSSI

standards that would affect students in this State; and

WHEREAS, the National Assessment of Educational Progress national test

already exists and allows comparisons of academic achievement to be made across

the states, without the necessity of imposing national standards, curricula, or

assessments; and

- Page 2 -

Resolution No. 350 November 18, 2014

Supporting The Reintroduction and Passage Of New York State

Assembly Bill 07994 And Senate Bill 06267, An Act To Amend The

Education Law, In Relation To The Common Core State Standards

Initiative And The Race To The Top Program

WHEREAS, imposing a set of national standards is likely to lead to the

imposition of a national curriculum and national assessment upon the various states,

in violation of the General Education Provisions Act, the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act; and the Department of Education Organization Act; and

WHEREAS, when no less than 22 states face budget shortfalls and Race to the

Top funding for states is limited, $350 million for consortia to develop new

assessments aligned with the CSCSI standards will not cover the entire cost of

overhauling state accountability systems, which includes implementation of

standards and testing and associated professional development and curriculum

restructuring; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature emphatically urges New

York state lawmakers to re-introduce and support the passage of New York State

Assembly bill 07994 and Senate bill 6267 to discontinue the implementation of the

Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards

Initiative which interfere with State and local control of public schools; and, be it

further

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature urges our New York State

Legislature to get further involved in the current debate over Common Core, to halt

implementation of the standards while a state initiative is pursued to do due diligence

and perhaps take an independent state-based approach to the improvement of our

education system in New York State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward copies

of this resolution to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly and Senate Majority and

Minority Leaders, Assembly and Senate Education Committee Chairmen, and all

Ulster County elected Assemblymen and Senators,

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: 23 NOES: 0

- Page 3 -

Resolution No. 350 November 18, 2014

Supporting The Reintroduction and Passage Of New York State

Assembly Bill 07994 And Senate Bill 06267, An Act To Amend The

Education Law, In Relation To The Common Core State Standards

Initiative And The Race To The Top Program

Postponed in Committee: Legislative Programs, Education, and Community Services

on October 15, 2014

Passed Committee: Legislative Programs, Education, and Community Services on

November 5, 2014

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE

STATE OF NEW YORK

 ss:

COUNTY OF ULSTER

This is to certify that I, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Ulster have compared the

foregoing resolution with the original resolution now on file in the office of said clerk, and which was adopted by said

Legislature on the 18th Day of November, 2014, and that the same is a true and correct transcript of said resolution and of

the whole thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the County of Ulster this 19

th Day of

November in the year Two Thousand and Fourteen.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk

Ulster County Legislature