Politics & Government

More Opponents Speak on Special Education Bill

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has until Wednesday to act on legislation regarding special education placement that has drawn strong opposition from educators and other groups in the state.

The League of Women Voters, NYS PTA and School Boards Association are urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the bill, which has already passed the State Senate and Assembly. The PTA letter is attached to this report.

Last week, Pearl River Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Morgano spoke out against the bill and called for Cuomo to veto it. 

Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Assembly Bill 10722/Senate Bill 7722 would require schools to take a student's home life and cultural environment into account when making placement decisions. Educators have raised a number of issues with it, including potential financial burdens for school districts and concerns regarding the measure's vague language.

The NYS Council of School Superintendents, Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents Council of New York Special Education Administrators (CNYSEA) and the Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators (LIASEA) have all written letters to Cuomo explaining the problems with the legislation and asking him to veto it. 

Find out what's happening in Pearl Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The contents of the NYS Council of School Superintendents' letter can be found here. The others are attached to this report. 

An online petition created by a Spring Valley resident urges people to sign and call the governor's office at 518-474-8390.  As of Sunday evening, it had 1,633 signatures with a goal of 2,500. 


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