Read our brand-new, user-friendly Know Your Educational Rights handout on students’ right to extra support for students struggling academically: http://bit.ly/1R9hrqx.
Of the 17 Regents, only three–Betty Rosa (Bronx), Judith Johnson (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties), and Catherine Collins (Buffalo)–stood up for students’ rights and voted against watering down essential supports for children in need of extra help.
Instead of giving school districts permission to cut supports for students in need, the Regents and New York State Education Department and should insist that academic intervention services be strengthened and expanded. And the state must take the lead in ensuring that districts have the funding they need to pay for effective academic and support services.
Act Now, Before It’s Too Late
During a 45-day public comment period required by law, the Regents must accept input from New Yorkers on their September 16 decision. If you raise your voice now, you may persuade more of them to reconsider and thereby ensure thousands of students the extra help they need.
Tell the Regents to vote against eliminating the right to academic intervention services for any student below proficiency according to state learning standards.
How to Submit Your Comments to the Board of Regents
- Email RegentsOffice@nysed.gov as well as the Regent representing your district: www.regents.nysed.gov/members;
- Call 518-474-5889 and leave a detailed message; and/or
- Send a letter to:
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Board of Regents, Room 110 EB
Albany, New York 12234
Center for Educational Equity 
I’m not sure the regents are the only ones at fault here. The students and their “comprehensive” environment carry a larger sharer of the blame. It is difficult to assign responsibility to any one group, but I suggest that all the granting of “rights” to these students will go no further to improve their circumstances than any “movement” or “agenda” or “demonstration” ever has or ever will. Many students who “struggle academically” do so because of their own or their parents or their friends or other outside factors that have nothing to do with their teachers efforts to improve their academic achievements. By “doing something” and focusing on mere “effort” without aiming that intention in an actually effective way, only delays the desired end result.