In the last decade, the state of public education in New York State has undergone dramatic changes. Our children are being forced into styles of learning and curricula that do not meet their needs and thus, have not been exposed to challenging learning experiences. The result of this has been skyrocketing dropout rates and teachers leaving the profession in droves, while testing and textbook companies have made huge profits.

Therefore we call on the New York State Board of Regents to appoint someone as Commissioner of Education who supports multiple ways to help students become productive members of society. The new Commissioner should encourage high-standards as well as curricular and assessment diversity to accommodate student learning needs. The new Commissioner of Education must be someone who fosters as much local autonomy and accountability as possible. Political issues should not enter into this decision. It must be a prerequisite that the individual have a strong background in public education, which includes an understanding of and demonstrated support for the public school concept and a quality education for all.

The following leaders of education would make exceptional Commissioners: Peter McWalters, Doug Christiansen, Manuel Rivera and William Cala. We urge the Board of Regents to choose one of these candidates.