Governor Cuomo’s education commission recommends extending the school day and school year, as well as all day pre-kindergarten. But the governor says those ideas could be expensive.
Commission chair and former Citigroup executive Dick Parsons says school days and the school year should be longer, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds should begin their education with all day pre kindergarten.
Parson summed up the report’s underlying premise as: “Get them sooner, keep them longer and do more with them when you’ve got them”.
Governor Cuomo says the ideas are “bold” and “exciting”, but he cautions that there might not be enough money right now.
"Frankly, it’s going to be a question of money.” Cuomo said. “That’s something that we’re going to have to weigh when we look at the overall financial scene”.
The commission also recommends recruiting higher quality teachers and administrators, and says there should be the equivalent of a bar exam for those entering the profession. Cuomo says some of the ideas will be incorporated into his State of the State message.
