“I’m appreciative of Gov. Hochul’s desire to establish a significantly different tone and operation than the previous administration. In particular, she recently stated she would combat COVID-19 with a more collaborative approach instead of top-down decision making.

“The new policies announced yesterday would benefit from such an approach.

“Throughout the 2020-21 school year, I heard from parents who were frustrated by the one-size-fits-all approach that proved to be too rigid to be changing circumstances and was subject to the whims of the governor alone. It was made clear earlier this summer from the state that local districts would be empowered to make decisions based on what is best for their school communities. It was understood they would be in direct consultation with local health officials. Now, days before the start of the new school year, new mandates have been announced without details. I urge the governor to respect local control wherever possible and to go through the proper legislative process when adopting statewide polices rather than reverting to the process of her predecessor."