Short week due to the holiday! Here’s what’s been happening:

In the unfunded mandate department:

• Special-education bill faulted as creating costly voucher system; schools urge Cuomo veto
• Albany Bill Would Add Family to Special Education Factors

The Democrat and Chronicle gave Governor Cuomo a mid-term progress report

July 1 was the deadline for submitting teacher evaluation plans:

• Fewer than 25 percent of NYS school districts make July 1 deadline for submitting teacher evaluation plans
• A handful of Syracuse area school districts submit teacher evaluation agreements to New York State
• Teacher review pacts trickle in
• The governor’s website has a nifty new feature that tracks which districts have submitted their APPR plans … and which have not.

Governor Cuomo’s education commission will hold its first public hearing in Albany on July 10.  Click here to speak/attend. More meetings are planned for around the state. The governor’s office has developed a web site so the public can follow the commission’s work. Additional background on the commission, including its specific objectives, is here.

As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments. Have a great weekend.