Hochul Wants More Power Over State Education Dept. Amid Move to End Regents Requirement

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New York’s slow-moving transition away from requiring Regents exams to graduate has a new critic: Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul, who decisively defeated her Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman on Tuesday, has raised concerns that state education officials are moving to eliminate existing graduation exam requirements without a clear plan for what will replace them, potentially weakening the value of a New York diploma.

Those concerns have also prompted Hochul to renew her call to give the governor’s office more control of the state Education Department, which answers to a board chosen by New York lawmakers rather than the chief executive.

“People see in the articles, ‘New York State abandons Regents,’” Hochul said last week on the Max Politics Podcast. “They think I’m New York.” She added: “The buck should stop with me, given that we are the funder of education.”

Hochul’s comments come as state education officials have yet to spell out what will replace Regents exams as a graduation requirement. The class of 2027 is the last crop of students required to pass Regents exams under the state’s current timeline. The 17-member Board of Regents, which sets state education policy and selects the education commissioner, will determine what comes next.

Hochul spokesperson Jonah Allon said that the governor is concerned about “the lack of clarity about what will replace” the Regents exams. “The Board of Regents have a responsibility to preserve academic rigor and ensure clear, consistent graduation standards across the state.”

The clock is ticking. This year’s seniors generally must still pass a series of standardized Regents exams in English, math, science and social studies to graduate. But the state Education Department is developing new diploma requirements for future graduating classes. New York City officials said that for the next three years, students will only have to pass their classes to earn a diploma.

What Hochul would do with more control over state education policy remains a question mark. A spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether she thinks the Regents exams should remain in place or whether she supports alternative requirements.

Hochul has previously clashed with state education officials on other issues, including a school cellphone ban. State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa favored giving school districts more control to set their own policies, but Hochul pushed for a statewide approach and signed a ban into state law last year.

A spokesperson for the state Education Department did not respond to questions.

Giving the governor control could help create a stronger vision for schools across the state — and clarify who is responsible for education policymaking, supporters say.

“There is no single, clear line of accountability for the quality of education New York’s children receive,” Dan Weisberg, a former top official in New York City’s Education Department, wrote in the publication Vital City. “When a governor is clearly in charge, there’s real potential for serious leadership on education.”

There is some precedent for such a move: California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently mounted a successful push to consolidate power over state education policy.

But taking control of the Education Department comes with political challenges, too.

Hochul could face criticism of New York’s academic performance, which is middling even as the state leads the nation in education spending.

And if she moves forward with changes to graduation standards — including hands-on projects, work-based learning and dual enrollment envisioned by state officials — she would also be responsible for their consequences. Other states offer cautionary tales about how difficult such changes can be to pull off.

State lawmakers may also be reluctant to cede some of their power over state education policy to the governor.

“It’s great that the governor would like to take a more hands-on approach to education,” state Sen. John Liu told Politico. “The state Education Department is structured the way it is due to law as well as the state constitution so the governor will need to work within those confines.”

Arlen Benjamin-Gomez, executive director at the advocacy group EdTrust-New York, said it is a “big deal” that the governor is weighing in more strongly on the graduation requirement changes. Her organization recently called for a two-year pause on changes to develop a clearer vision and give schools more time to prepare.

Benjamin-Gomez emphasized that giving the governor more power could help elevate education policy issues, which received little discussion during the gubernatorial race.

“If she had control over the education system, she would be running on an education agenda that she could develop and then be held accountable to implement,” Benjamin-Gomez said.

Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at [email protected].

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