More oversight at East Ramapo, phone bans at NY schools: What’s next for Lower Hudson?

As 2024 comes to a close, 2025 is already shaping up to be just as big a year for news in the Lower Hudson Valley— especially when it comes to the education system. From the “science of reading”, to potential updates to high school graduation requirements, there are plenty of issues at the forefront for the new year.

The Journal News/lohud staff came together to preview some of the big issues and questions that will drive talk, debate and the news into 2025. We’ll be sharing what we found, a few subjects at a time, over the next few days.

Looking ahead Lower Hudson Valley housing: Stabilized rents in Westchester set to rise, what’s next?

Cellphone ban in the works for New York Schools

In January, Gov. Hochul will push state legislation to ban students’ use of internet-ready cellphones in school. Hochul traveled the state last year to build support for the ban, which she insists is necessary to support students’ mental heath and keep their focus on academics.

Hochul wants statewide rules so school districts don’t have to develop cellphone policies themselves and deal with pushback. New York State United Teachers supports statewide restrictions on cellphone use.

NYS Education Department to release best practices on reading

Thanks to a national focus on the so-called “science of reading,” the state Education Department is due to release best practices on the teaching of reading by early 2025. Starting in September of 2025, school districts will have to verify annually that they comply with these practices.

The Education Department seemed reluctant to push too hard, saying its best practices would based on a series of “literacy briefs” by a Harvard professor. Hochul began pushing phonics-based reading instruction as part of the 2024 state budget.

New York school districts could be pushed to regionalize

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expects Hochul to try to reign in state aid to school districts, with major ramifications. Last year, Hochul proposed cutting state “foundation fid” to half of New York’s districts, but the eventual state budget erased those cuts. Hochul may try again to cut aid in 2025, which Rosa says would devastate already needy districts.

As a result, Rosa is pushing school districts to consider new regionalized approaches to programs and staffing, saying such a model would save money and better serve all students.

Learn more: NYS urges school districts to share programs and staff, but Lower Hudson chiefs skeptical

New York high schoolers could have alternatives to Regents by 2029

The state Board of Regents will continue working on its most ambitious effort in decades: updating New York’s high school graduation requirements.

When things are said and done, students should be able to bypass the venerable Regents exams and show what they know in different ways — including big projects, internships, participation in the arts, and career and technical education.

There is much to be done to figure out how thing will work, but new standards should be in place for students who enter 9th grade in 2029.

Oversight in East Ramapo school district could grow

East Ramapo school district already has some of the most stringent state oversight in New York and could be in line for more.

Test results are among the lowest in the state, immigrant students continue to show up in large numbers, and the questionable fiscal condition of the district continues to draw concern in Albany.

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa issued an unusual interim order to increase the property tax levy by 4.38%, beyond the 1% approved by voters. A parents group, though, is suing to upend what they call taxation without representation.

Rosa supports a fiscal control board for East Ramapo, which would require passage of state legislation.

Contributing: Lohud’s Nancy Cutler

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Education in Lower Hudson Valley: What changes could come in 2025?

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