Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) is calling on the governor and the State Education Department to increase the number of teacher evaluation summits and open them to the public. Currently, there is one summit, open by invitation-only, to discuss the teacher evaluation changes that were part of the Education Budget Bill this year. DiPietro voted against the measure and is preparing for a series of town hall events to discuss the state of the state’s education system.

“When our conference put together the APPLE Plan, we did so after getting input from teachers, students, parents, administrators and experts, not before,” DiPietro said. “We held forums that were open to the public, where anyone who agreed, disagreed or just wanted to learn more about Common Core could attend. That’s how you draft credible policy. This summit, if it is meant to garner input from the affected groups, should be open to the public, and there should be multiple events around the state. Hear from everybody. This seems to be a face-saving measure because of the intense grassroots blowback the legislative leaders and governor have faced since forcing these reforms through the budget process.”

DiPietro is a sponsor of the APPLE Plan, Assembly Bill 3656, which would institute a two-year moratorium on the implementation of the Common Core curriculum and restore the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA), among other education reforms. The legislation has stalled in the Assembly Committee on Education where the Majority voted down the measure.