Sponsor of Common Core Parental Refusal Act says Assembly Majority is sending a terrible message to children who this week are being forced to endure grades 3-8 math tests

“Political cynicism at its worst.”

“All about covering their backsides from angry parents and teachers after passing a terrible state education budget bill in the dark of the night that doubled down on Common Core standardized testing.”

“Incompetent plagiarism” and a “one-house bill that’s going nowhere fast,” those are the nice things Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) is saying about Common Core opt-out legislation sponsored by Assembly Education Chair Catherine Nolan (D-Queens). Nolan’s bill passed the Education Committee today and is being fast tracked for passage in the Assembly despite the fact that it currently has no chance of becoming law.  

Tedisco, a former public school special education teacher, is the sponsor of the bi-partisan Common Core Parental Refusal Act (A.6025/S.4161), to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse without penalty to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests. 

Nolan’s bill (A.6777) enables children to be exempted from the tests but it does not require schools notify parents of their right of refusal without penalty as Tedisco’s measure does. Her bill only has Democrat sponsors and does not have a Senate companion. 

Author of Common Core Parental Refusal Act says it’s time for Governor, Legislature and SED to stop “test-a-thon madness” and start listening to parents and educators           

Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville)

“The Common Core test-a-thon madness has got to stop!”

“That’s the message sent loud and clear yesterday by thousands of parents across New York who rose up against a top-down, one-size fits all approach to education that focuses on the over-utilization of high stakes Common Core standardized tests and refused to have their children be any part of this culture of testing.”

 “Yesterday, parents gave the Governor, Legislature and State Education Department a failing report card on their efforts to engage children in actual learning and not teaching to take developmentally inappropriate tests that only measure how well children take exams.”

“When schools are sending home notices to parents to help third graders cope with test anxiety then you know the pendulum on testing has swung too far. No child should have such stress over a test at a young age or ask their parents if they need to take extra ADHD medicine before test day as one constituent relayed to me.”

Tedisco, Graf, Ra Call for Special Session On Common Core Testing Crisis Before April 14^th When Grades 3-8 State Tests Begin

Assembly members Tedisco, Graf, Ra say Assembly Majority more interested in “symbolism over substance” and covering backsides after voting for budget that’s outraged parents & teachers than informing parents of their rights to refuse to have their kids take tests

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), Assemblyman Al Graf (R,C,I-Holbrook) and Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) today called on the Assembly Majority to get serious about the impending Common Core standardized testing crisis in our schools and convene a special session before the first round of tests begin on April 14^th to ensure parents know about their rights to have their children refuse the tests.

Children in grades 3-8 across the state next week will begin to take state math and ELA tests that are leaving thousands of parents asking questions about how they can opt their kids out of the exams and what consequences and protections there are -- if any -- for them, their teachers and schools if they do so.

On April 2, two days after Assembly Education Committee Chair Catherine Nolan (D-Queens) spent over 6 hours defending a state budget bill that doubled-down on the state’s reliance on Common Core standardized testing to evaluate teachers and students, quietly introduced a one-house bill (A.6777) to allow parents to exempt their children from these tests.  All the sponsors of Nolan’s bill, save for one, voted for the widely criticized state education budget bill.

The Legislature is not scheduled to return to session until April 21^st.  The first round of grade 3-8 state tests starts April 14^th. 

Assembly members Tedisco, Graf, Murray & Ra start RefuseCommonCore.com petition to give parents a voice to refuse to have their children participate in Common Core standardized tests

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), Assemblyman Al Graf (R,C,I-Holbrook), Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue) and Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), today took their efforts to the next level to inform parents of their rights to have their children refuse to take the Common Core standardized tests by launching a new statewide petition drive: RefuseCommonCore.com.

The online RefuseCommonCore.com website offers New Yorkers the ability to write a message directly to the Governor to respect the rights of parents to make important decisions on the educational future of their children and enable parents to have their children refuse to take the high stakes Common Core-based standardized tests. Citizens will be able to share the petition via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Tedisco, Graf, Murray and Ra are sponsoring the “Common Core Parental Refusal Act” (A.6025/S.4161) to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests. The legislation has Republican and Democratic sponsors in both houses of the legislature. 

Legislators seek passage of bi-partisan bill to ensure schools notify parents they can refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in controversial Common Core standardized tests

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), Senator Terrence Murphy (R,C,I-Jefferson Valley), Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns (D-Buffalo), Senator Joseph A. Griffo (R,C,I-Rome) and Senator George Latimer (D-Rye) today joined with parents, students and educators in Albany to call for passage of bi-partisan legislation they are sponsoring, the “Common Core Parental Refusal Act” (A.6025/S.4161) to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests.

The legislation has Republican and Democratic sponsors in both houses of the legislature. Tedisco is the prime sponsor of the bill in the Assembly and Murphy is the chief sponsor in the Senate.

            “The Common Core standardized high stakes tests are making too many children feel like they’re just another brick in the wall instead of empowering them to love learning. We need to bring common sense to Common Core because New York is wasting too much time and money stressing children out to prepare for these tests which are of questionable educational value instead of focusing on supporting teachers so they can do their job and teach children what’s really important,” said Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, a former public school special education teacher and guidance counselor. “The Common Core Parental Refusal Act protects the rights of parents to have their children refuse to take these high stakes tests and it ensures that students, teachers and schools are not penalized or rewarded for participation – or lack thereof – in the exams. By their refusal, parents can make themselves a part of the discussion as it relates to the future of education and their children in New York.”

Assemblyman to bring to the Floor of the Assembly a Rules Reform Amendment to stop major legislation like Pension Reform, Teacher Evaluations, SAFE Act & state budgets from being passed in the middle of the night

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), today will offer an amendment to reform the rules of the New York State Assembly to stop major legislation like pension reform, teacher evaluations, the SAFE Act and state budgets from being passed in the middle of the night away from public viewing.

Tedisco’s resolution would amend section 2 of Rule II of the Assembly to require a two-thirds majority of members to go into session between the hours of 12 a.m. and 8 a.m.

“Famed writer Bob Woodward once said the worst thing we have to fear as Americans is ‘secret government because in darkness democracy dies.’ In wartime, sleep deprivation is a tool armies use to confuse their enemies. The Majority and Minority of the legislature and the Governor may have differences of opinion but we are not enemies and should not be working in the middle of the night out of the view of our constituents and the media,” said Tedisco.

Assemblyman introduces legislation to ensure schools notify parents they can refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in controversial Common Core state standardized tests

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), who was the top vote getter in the Assembly on the Stop Common Core ballot line in 2014, today announced new legislation he is introducing, the “Common Core Parental Refusal Act” to require that school districts notify parents of their rights to refuse to have their children in grades 3-8 participate in the Common Core standardized tests.

Both parents and teachers have expressed concern over the over-testing of children in New York in regards to how the new Common Core standards are being applied along with the high stakes associated with the results of such tests. Chief among those complaints is that teachers are being forced to spend an inordinate amount of class time “teaching to the test” instead of engaging students in true learning.

In 2014 alone, parents of 60,000 students refused New York State Common Core tests.

Assemblyman who was the driving force behind passage of Buster’s animal cruelty felony law calls for passage of legislation to take holistic approach to preventing animal cruelty

In the wake of a grisly crime of animal cruelty in Halfmoon where a nine-month old puppy was set on fire, Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today is calling on the state legislature to pass his legislation to create a statewide registry of animal abusers.  Tedisco was the driving force behind passage of the landmark Buster’s Law which created the felony crime of animal cruelty in New York punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

A 19-year-old Halfmoon resident faces felony animal cruelty charges under Buster’s Law for allegedly throwing flammable liquid on a pit bull puppy and then tossing lit matches at the dog.  Another 19-year-old Halfmoon man is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly not providing sustenance to the dog.

Assembly members say state lawmakers must “lead by example” on paying their tax obligations before making laws that affect taxes on 19.5 million New Yorkers

“Hey Governor, politicians should pay their taxes or lose their seats because what’s good for the goose is good for the gander!”

 That’s the message Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) and Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue) are sending the Governor today by announcing new legislation to require all state elected officials to lead by example and pay their taxes before they are allowed to take office and pass tax laws impacting the 19.5 million New Yorkers they represent.

The Governor’s proposed 2015-16 New York State Budget requires all new state employees to pay their taxes before they are hired and allowed to begin employment with a state agency.  The Governor’s measure also enables local governments to prohibit tax scofflaws from being hired on the municipal level.

Tedisco and Murray’s legislation, which is being drafted, would bring fairness to the Governor’s proposal for state workers by requiring the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller and all 213 state legislators to be in good standing with their state and local taxes before they can take office.

“If you want to run for office and serve the public then you should obey the law and pay your taxes. No tax deadbeats allowed,” said Tedisco.

“Everyone has to pay their taxes but we need to hold our elected officials to the same standard we hold the people we seek to represent. Our state elected officials have a duty to lead by example and pay their taxes before they take office and make laws that affect the taxes of the millions of New Yorkers they represent. Who is more of a state worker than lawmakers who are hired by the taxpayers who own this government and are the bosses in this representative democracy?” said Tedisco. 

“This isn't even asking elected officials to go above and beyond, it's asking them to do what millions of New Yorkers do on a regular basis...and that is, pay your taxes.  It was unconscionable that the Assemblyman that I replaced, Ed Hennessey, was cashing a tax payer funded paycheck every two weeks, while being years behind and owing tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes. In essence, the taxpayers were being hit twice by having to pay his salary, while also making up for the taxes that he wasn't paying to fund schools, police and emergency services, garbage collection, road repairs and more.  This is an ethics reform bill that needs to be adopted sooner rather than later,” said Murray. 

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Assemblyman who was driving force behind passage of Prop 2, calling on state legislature to stop wasting time, tax dollars and go paperless as 77 % of voters decided

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today called on legislative leaders to stop wasting time, tax dollars and paper and immediately begin the implementation of Proposition 2 to enable electronic copies of legislation to suffice on all 213 legislative desks.

Proposition 2 passed overwhelmingly on November 4^th with 77 percent of the vote statewide. Tedisco sponsored, debated and strongly promoted Proposition 2 to save taxpayers millions of dollars, make the legislature more efficient and help the environment by stopping the waste of paper at the Capitol.

“It’s been over three months since Election Day and the new legislative term began 41 days ago but almost nothing’s been done to ensure the Legislature adheres to the will of the people who passed Proposition 2 overwhelmingly to stop wasting tax dollars and paper and go digital at the state Capitol,” said Tedisco.

“So far, just one row of desks in the Assembly chamber has been wired to connect to a computer or tablet to display legislation. That’s it. Zero progress when it comes to stopping the waste of tax dollars and the environment by taking all the bills off the members desks and bringing this legislative body into the 21^st century as Proposition 2 requires,” said Tedisco.

“What’s the hold-up? This shouldn’t be rocket science. Find an affordable tablet or computer and have an app that’s dedicated to the state legislature’s Legislative Retrieval System so lawmakers can view bills, bill memos, committee agendas and legislative calendars,” said Tedisco. 

“They don’t need to reinvent the internet here.  This should have been done after Election Day,” said Tedisco, who noted that after computer devises are installed, members will still have to be trained on how to use them, further delaying full implementation of the voters’ wishes.

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