The final actions of the New York Blue Ribbon Commission will be celebrated at the 2024 New York City and State Education Summit

City & State’s 2024 Education in New York Summit welcomed State Department of Education Commissioner Betty Rosa as opening speaker on Thursday before a packed audience at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan.

The event brought together industry leaders, public sector leaders, and academics to discuss ideas and debate critical issues such as school choice, closing the achievement gap, and special education. Rosa began her remarks by talking about “reimagining and rethinking” the transformation of the school system. Transforming our system.

“And we are very committed to the theme of service,” she told attendees in explaining that transformation. “We are here to serve, and we are here to serve our districts, our communities, our schools and those who are basically part of what we call the extended family that is trying to do this work.”

Rosa then used the event to highlight the Blue Ribbon Commission's Graduation Measures, an initiative to redesign and revise New York State's graduation requirements. Rosa, a member of the commission, said an “independent, thoughtful and inclusive process” was initiated to ultimately determine what graduates should know and what skills they should have.

“We want them to be critical thinkers, innovative problem solvers, well-versed in all subject areas, effective communicators and global citizens,” she said. “And we want them to be truly culturally competent individuals.”

The commissioner continued that part of the process was re-conceptualizing the work to create the “portrait of a graduate.” “So we're creating this amazing portrait and trying to define what we want that portrait to look like,” she said. “And of course, we want to make sure that all of our work — as we move through this process — is done in a very thoughtful process involving our various communities.” Rosa said the Blue Ribbon Commission was the end result of organizing small groups, multiple meetings and “performing as great ambassadors” that led to the “portrait of the graduate.”

Participants on the “Current State of Public Education in New York” panel then discussed funding for schools, serving students with disabilities, and professional development for teachers who teach literacy programs. Participants emphasized the importance of creating more space for professional development for teachers who teach literacy programs through initiatives like NYC Reads.

“We owe it to every child to not only teach them to read, but to give them the tools to make progress and reach reading levels,” said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers. “We owe it to every child to do this. It's not easy to implement. That's not what most teachers learn when they go to school to get the teaching certification to teach literacy, for most teachers coming out of school. But when you implement these things, it's a huge logistical undertaking. How do you make sure that they [teachers] to develop professionally?”

The event's second panel, “New York's Plans for Higher Education,” highlighted the effectiveness of tutoring and counseling services, as well as generally supportive housing initiatives for students, in helping them overcome challenges, worry less about basic needs, and succeed.

“If they know they have a safe place to live, if they know they have regular access to food, and that they have counselors, tutors and financial support, they can feel safe and succeed,” said panelist Farrah Goff, admissions and student success director at The New York Foundling.

The conversation also focused on the importance of increasing affordability at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the State University of New York (SUNY) by passing legislation that expands eligibility for student aid programs. It was mentioned that in the last legislative session, eligibility for TAP was increased from $80,000 to $125,000 and that this is critical to encouraging New York students to pursue higher education.

The afternoon sessions spoke in depth about how technology is being integrated into education today, the benefits it offers, and how it is making education more accessible while also creating challenges in education, particularly around artificial intelligence and its impact on academic integrity. There was also a conversation about mental and behavioral challenges and the resources available to students to overcome these challenges.

“I'm very optimistic about the future of education. When I left high school and college years ago with my Regent diploma in hand, I didn't know what to expect. And I think colleges today are helping students find their way, especially in the early stages of their college experience when they may feel a little lost and don't know where to turn,” said Patricia Greer, provost at Berkeley College.