NYSACTE Advocacy Activities Peter Carr Barrett Associates

1. NYSACTE Advocacy ActivitiesPeter CarrBarrett Associates Where We’ve Been Where We’re Going Playing your part

2. NYSACTE Advocacy Activities • Barrett Associates brought on board June, 2014 • Michael Barrett • Peter Carr • Jill Muratori • Alice Pfeiffer

3. Where We’ve Been • Multiple Pathways • Initial meeting of stakeholders • Business Council of New York State • School Superintendents • School Principals • Guidance Counselors • BOCES • NYSUT • Big 5 School Districts

4. Where We’ve Been • Building Partnerships • Education Community • Council of School Superintendents • School Principals • NYSUT • Big 5 School Districts • BOCES

5. Where We’ve Been • Building Partnerships • Business Community • Business Council of NYS • Buffalo-Niagara Partnership • Long Island Association • CenterState • Capital Region Chamber of Commerce • Business Council of Westchester • NYC Partnership

6. Board of Regents and SED – MP is not a new topic • 12/2012 – CTE Content Advisory Panel recommends MP • 2/2013 - Panel updates BOR on Technical Assessment Review Panel regarding comparability of CTE assessments and Regents exams • 6/2014 - P-12 Education Committee discusses 4+1 model and instructs staff to draft regulatory changes • 9/2014 – P-12 Education Committee recommends that SS course requirements for HS graduation be modified

7. Meetings of the Board of Regents • Moving in the direction of adopting MP • Continued apprehension from some Regents

8. Where We’ve Been • NYS Legislature • A.8189-C (Brindisi)/S.5966-C (Valesky) of 2014 • Creates a CTE Diploma • 70 sponsors in the Assembly • Senate passed the bill 58-0

9. Where We’ve Been • NYS Legislature • Assembly Hearing on CTE Diploma Legislation – July, 2014 • AssemblymembersBrindisi and Nolan • NYSACTE offers testimony in support of MP • We do not support the legislation • We recommend a multiple pathways approach • We recommend a focus on college and career readiness • We recommend a focus on flexibility regarding graduation requirements

10. Where We’ve Been • Chancellor Tisch – “We can either lead or follow.”

11. Where We’ve Been • Meetings with individual Regents • Bottar, Bennett, Tilles, Finn, Norwood, Dawson • Letter Writing Campaigns – Call to Action • Meetings with the State Education Department

12. Where We’ve Been • October 2014 Board of Regents proposed 4+1 model • The new regulations are to be posted on November 5th • 45 Day comment period begins • NYSACTE submits comments to the Board and SED • What is the 4+1 model? • In addition to four Regents exams the model creates pathways assessments in Humanities, STEM, LOTE, CTE and the Arts, and would require a fifth assessment for graduation.

13. Where We’ve Been • NYSACTE observations of 4+1: • Recognition and validation of CTE as a program of instruction that delivers an equally rigorous pathway to HS graduation • Continues to focus on the test -- the test continues to be the controlling element • Does not alter the existing system of coursework requirements for graduation • Does nothing to provide students with additional flexibility • Fails to ensure career readiness as a foundation to all pathways students in a clear and comprehensive manner

14. Where We’ve Been • NYSACTE submits comments on 4+1 model • Comments included our observations • Recommendations • 15/7 – foundation/electives • School Report Cards • Work-based learning experience • Recertification process for each pathway similar to CTE • Review all current assessments approved by SED • STEM pathway should include technology and engineering • Define pathways early in the career exploration process

15. Where We’ve Been • January, 2015 • Board of Regents adopts 4+1 model without any changes • SED is without a Commissioner • Beginning of Legislative Session • Governor’s State of the State • Governor’s Budget Presentation

16. We’re We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget -- Education Opportunity Agenda • Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) • Teacher Tenure and certification • Failing Schools • Charter Schools • Education Investment Tax Credit • Expand Masters Teacher Program • Mayoral control of NYC schools • Conditional School Aid increase of $1 billion

17. Where We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget • Focus on funding for CTE • Work with coalition of education groups • Meet with Senate and Assembly members • Meet with Senate and Assembly fiscal staffs

18. Where We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget • NYSACTE supports: • Increase funding for CTE • Increase in Foundation Aid • Repeal of the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) • Increasing the cap on aidable BOCES salaries • Increasing special services aid for CTE in Big 5 Districts

19. Where We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget • Assembly and Senate One-House proposals • Both houses increase funding for education above the Governor • Both houses increase the cap for aidable BOCES salaries • Assembly calls for more special services aid for Big 5 districts

20. Where We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget • Budget is adopted at the end of March • $428 m. more in Foundation Aid • $603 m. toward eliminating the GEA • No increase in the cap for aidable BOCES salaries • No increase in special services aid • Increased aid tied to adoption of APPR

21. Where We’ve Been • Governor’s Budget • Education Opportunity Agenda • Annual Profession Performance Review (APPR) • Teacher Tenure and certification • Failing Schools • Expand Masters Teacher Program • Conditional School Aid increase of $1 billion • Mayoral control of NYC schools is put off until June • No on Charter Schools • No on Education Investment Tax Credit

22. Where We’ve Been • New Members Elected to the Board of Regents • Assembly Review of Candidates • Four New Regents elected by the Legislature • Judith Chin – Judicial District XI – Queens • Beverly Ouderkirk – Judicial District IV – North Country • Catherine Collins – Judicial District VIII – Western NY • Judith Johnson – Judicial District IX – Hudson Valley • Three sitting Regents were reappointed (Tilles, Cashin, Young) • In July, MaryEllen Alia became the new Commissioner

23. Where We’re Going • 2015-2016 Goals and Objectives • Continue to raise NYSACTE’s profile • Achieve adoption of NYSACTE’s recommendations on 4+1 • Work with partners to promote CTE • Enhance communications with NYSACTE membership

24. Where We’re going • Continue to raise NYSACTE’s profile • Take an inventory of existing relationships and re-engage • Expand our network of supporters • Enhance our relationship with Board of Regents members • Continue to showcase to key decision makers the value of CTE

25. Where We’re Going • Adoption of NYSACTE recommendations • Meet with SED and Regents to promote our recommendations • Meet with Governor’s staff and Senate/Assembly to advocate for CTE and more $$s • Work with Assembly/Senate on legislative solutions • Encourage our allies to advocate for a full implementation of the 4+1 model

26. Where We’re Going • Work with partners to promote CTE • Meet with key representative from statewide and regional economic development organizations • Meet with statewide and regional labor and trade organizations to encourage their participation • Engage the State’s labor and economic development agencies to develop synergies with their existing goals of promoting jobs

27. Where We’re Going • Enhance communications with/by NYSACTE members • Direct communication between advocate and members • More effective use of NYSACTE website • Develop teams of regional CTE advocates to engage local Regents, legislators and business partners

28. Playing Your Part • Why Advocate? • NYSACTE leadership has made the decision to become more involved in the public policy discussion in Albany • Decision makers need to hear from practitioners • Effective advocacy helps decision makers understand what matters in education generally and CTE specifically • If you don’t make the case for CTE, who will?

29. Playing Your Part • Different Forms of Advocacy • In person meetings or on-site visits to your school • Letter writing campaigns • Media/Publish Relations campaigns • On-line petitions • Email • No faxing!

30. Playing Your Part • Issues, Goals and Objectives • Defining the advocacy issue - a problem or situation that a group seeks to rectify • Define and make College and Career Readiness a reality • Determine advocacy goals – long term result • Recognize and validate CTE as a program of instruction that delivers an equally rigorous pathway to HS graduation • Determine advocacy objectives – short term targets • Adoption of 4+1 model

31. Playing Your Part • Advocacy Networks (Coalitions/Partnerships) • We can’t go it alone • Networks are universal – we all belong to them • Networks can be small- and large-scale • Networks are invaluable – allows for shared ownership of common goals

32. Playing Your Part • Target Audiences: Identifying support and opposition • Primary target audiences – those that make decisions • Secondary target audiences – those that can influence the decision makers • Determine levels of support or opposition and understand why

33. Playing Your Part • Messaging: Tailored to your target audience • Know your target audience • Deliver a clear, concise, and consistent message tailored to that audience • Personal relationships • Personal story – teachers and students • What is the ask? What specific action do you want them to take?

34. Playing Your Part • Implementation: Developing an Action Plan • Determine specific activities for implementation • What resources are available • Who is responsible for what • What are the appropriate timeframes for each activity

35. Playing Your Part • What We Need From You • Get involved on the state or local level • The more advocates we have the better • Take ownership • Our students need us to advocate on their behalf

36. Playing Your Part • Questions? • Contact information: Peter Carr Barrett Associates 95 Columbia Street Albany, NY 12210 518-465-5340 (o) 518-649-6701 (m) pcarr@albanygov.com