New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) recently appointed Questar III BOCES Special Education Teacher Beth St. Clair-Bedell to the State Education Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Council. The council was primarily formed to provide NYSED with direct feedback from the front lines of the Regents Reform Agenda in terms of what works and what still needs improvement.
St. Clair-Bedell has 21 years of experience teaching special education and recently served two terms on the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel for Special Education. She currently teaches high school students in a Questar III program based at Ichabod Crane High School in Valatie.
According to St. Clair-Bedell, the first meeting on November 16 consisted of a variety of educators including: those recommended by NYSUT; those recommended by the New York State Charter Schools Association; nonpublic teachers; three recent New York State Teachers of the Year; National Board Certified Teachers; and several appointments by Commissioner John B. King, Jr.
Not surprisingly, the biggest topic of conversation during this meeting was the fiscal challenges associated with implementing the Common Core Learning Standards and the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR). The time required to implement the changes, concerns with charter school expectations versus public schools, and assessments for special education students were also discussed.
St. Clair-Bedell, who directs the New York State Alternate Assessments for Questar III, said the experience was a positive one. “I think [King] heard us loud and clear,” she said. “His answers were specific to the questions asked and he really seemed to hear what we were saying.”
The next meetings are scheduled for February 14 and May 3, 2013.
“These are brilliant people with amazing ideas and perspectives that we can learn from one another,” said St. Clair-Bedell. “We all agree that excellence is the goal so our students will have a life after school.”
