State Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) was reappointed as a ranking member of the state Education Committee on Monday.
“I have been fortunate to serve on the Education Committee for my first two terms in the Assembly, and to have had the opportunity to work with my colleagues on both sides of aisle to improve education for New York’s students,” Ra said in a statement.
Ra said he intends to work to return local control to schools and reform the Board of Regents.
Currently there are seven positions on the Board of Regents which are up for re-election this year, he said.
“That’s a lot,” Ra said. “The process last year was not done in the most open matter. These individuals have the responsibility, they implement a new mandate and it gets passed along to the local district and then the local taxpayer.”
He also said he intends to fulfill a promise he made during his re-election campaign and fight to roll back mandated Common Core standards.
“Really it’s about pushing back on that as a mandate and trying to give more leeway to local districts,” he said. “Long Island is know for its schools and less and less control is held at the local levels.”
Ra said believes his position as ranking member of the education committee gives him an opportunity to influence state education.
“It has been an honor to be the ranking member of this committee and I look forward to making a difference in our state’s education system, as well as other areas that are in need of improvement,” he said in a statement.
Collaboration, Ra said, is what will help local school’s to better help students.
“We need to treat our teachers, educators and parents as partners,” he said. “We don’t think that treating any entity as a problem is going to get us where we need to be. The teachers need to be a partner with the legislators and policy makers, that’s the only way we can improve education.”
Ra was also appointed as a new member of the Assembly’s Transportation Committee on Monday and currently serves on the New York State’s Higher Education, Health and Codes committees.
“I’m really excited about being added to the Transportation Committee,” he said. “I will push to make sure that infrastructure needs are looked at, public transportation and roads.”
