Issues: Education

As February begins and the United States observes Black History Month, Sen. O’Brien encourages the people of his district of all races to take some time to reflect on the rich history of African-Americans in the United States and in his district in particular.

“Black history is American history,” O’Brien said.  “I encourage everyone to take some time to look at Rochester’s importance to the African-American community, from its early role as the longtime home of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass to the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and ‘60s that continues today.”

Senator Jack M. Martins was at Weber Middle School on Friday, February 1 for Pizza and Politics with sixth grade students. The students discussed the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy with Senator Martins as they remembered the essays they entered for Senator Martins’ Thanksgiving Essay Contest. The students reiterated that they were thankful to have their homes and families and shelter as well as their school.

Senator Martins also spoke to the students about the role of a senator in Albany and about how a law is changed.

After Pizza and Politics, Principal Rodahan bestowed a special hour on Senator Martins by giving him the “Pride” pin for making the students feel special.

State Senator Patty Ritchie met this week with representatives of Northern New York libraries from Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties.

Senator Ritchie was recently reappointed to serve on the Senate Select Committee on Libraries; a panel charged with looking for ways to support the future of public libraries in New York State.

State Legislation Would Create Holiday in Cities With Large Asian American Populations

FLUSHING -- Today, at a press conference outside P.S. 20 in Flushing, State Senators Daniel Squadron (D-Chinatown) and Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Flushing), and Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Queens) urged the City to make the Asian Lunar New Year a school holiday so that New York City's growing number of Asian American students can celebrate with their families without missing class. 

About 150 residents attended information meeting Monday on regional funding fairness and consolidations.

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. – Senator Tim Kennedy, D-Cheektowaga, is urging the school boards of the four Cheektowaga districts – Cheektowaga Central, Cheektowaga-Sloan, Cleveland Hill and Maryvale – to approve plans to begin the process of studying potential cost savings through mergers, consolidations or sharing of services. Each individual board will consider a resolution to jointly pursue state grant funding for a consolidation study at their upcoming meetings.

Renews Commitment to Supporting Libraries, Expanding Opportunities for Taxpayers

State Senator Patty Ritchie has announced she has been renamed to the Senate Select Committee on Libraries, a panel charged with looking for ways to support the future of public libraries in New York State.

Sen. Krueger sent the following letter to New York State Education Commissioner John King and New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, expressing concerns over plans to share private student information with the Shared Learning Collaborative without parental consent.