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After New York State decided to withdraw from the state college entrance examination, Governor Huo Chu was concerned about the devaluation of the high school diploma due to the delay in finalizing alternative graduation standards, and once again requested that the governor increase his control over education policy.
new York State Resolved to phase out high school statesHKCEE (Regents Exam) as the graduation threshold, but the replacement standard has not yet been clarified, leading to the governor being successfully re-elected.Huo Chu (Kathy Hochul) questioned publicly. He warned that the lack of a clear and consistent option could reduce the value of a New York State high school diploma.
According to the current schedule, the Class of 2027 will be the last group of students who must pass the state exam to graduate. Current high school seniors must still pass integrated tests in English, math, science and social studies. Over the next three years, New York City students will only need to complete and pass required courses to receive a diploma.
The state education department is still developing long-term graduation requirements. Previously proposed directions include implementing projects and allowing high school students to simultaneously take college courses, but specific standards have not yet been finalized. Hochu spokesperson Jonah Allen said the state Board of Regents has a responsibility to maintain academic rigor and ensure that graduation standards are clear and consistent across the state.
The 17-member State Education Council is responsible for formulating education policy and appointing the Education Minister. Its members are elected by the state parliament and are not directly answerable to the governor. Hochu therefore once again argued that the governor’s office should have greater control over the state’s education department.
“When people saw the news headline, ‘New York State cancels state board exams,’ they thought it was my decision,” Huo Chu said in a recent interview. He said that since the state provides funds for education, the final responsibility should also be borne by the Governor. However, she has not yet said whether she advocates continuing state exams or what alternative requirements she would support.
Proponents of expanding the governor’s powers argue that the current system lacks clear accountability. Dan Weisberg, a former senior executive at the New York City Department of Education, explained that if the governor clearly takes command, he can establish a more consistent policy direction for schools across the state and tell voters who should be responsible for educational outcomes.
But taking over the education department also means governors have to take direct political responsibility for student performance and the success or failure of the reforms. New York’s education expenditure ranks first in the United States, but its academic performance is only average; Experience from other states also shows that practical and competency-based graduation standards are not easy to implement.
EdTrust, an education advocacy group, has called for a two-year moratorium on improving graduation standards to set clear direction and give schools time to prepare. The administrative director of the organization said that if the governor controls the education policy, he should also put forward a clear agenda and it should be tested by the voters.
Summary FAQ
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Because the state government has decided to gradually eliminate the state entrance examination as the graduation threshold, but the new replacement standards have not yet been finalized, the outside world is worried that the requirements of each school are inconsistent, which will affect the quality of students’ graduation and the credibility of their diplomas.
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They worry that without a clear and consistent alternative, the New York State high school diploma could lose its value, and people might mistakenly believe that eliminating the state exam is a unilateral decision by the governor.
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Supporters believe the governor’s leadership can improve accountability and policy consistency; Opponents have warned that if the governor takes charge of education, he will have to bear direct responsibility for student performance, the success or failure of the reform, and political responsibility, which is risky.
