Good morning. The New York State Board of Regents will consider no longer requiring high school students to pass Regents exams in order to graduate. The board discussed the proposal on Monday. If approved, students would still have to take the exams in accordance with federal academic standards.
State education officials believe this would allow students to demonstrate their academic prowess through alternate assessments. However, some believe this would create a vacuum for how students are evaluated. In the 2022-2023 school year, more than 30 Long Island school districts were among the state’s 100 highest scoring districts.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Connecticut drops a college degree requirement for most state jobs. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed the bill into law Friday. According to state officials, 60% of state residents do not have a college degree, but are still qualified for most positions.
Two Suffolk County car dealers settle with the state. The Amityville and Patchogue Nissan dealerships overcharged hundreds of customers on leased vehicles between 2020 to 2023. They will pay a combined $350,000 in penalties and restitution. New York Attorney General Letitia James recovered more than $2 million from seven Nissan dealers for consumers who were cheated statewide.
Bridgeport gets $13 million from Connecticut Investment Fund. The total fund of $74 million is designed to support economic development in historically underserved communities. Around $8 million will be used to remediate 20-acres of brownfield sites and establish a sustainable waterfront location. And more than $5 million will be used to renovate seven historic locations near Washington Park.
Nassau Community College teachers union will release alleged incriminating documents against school admins. The Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers Union claims to have evidence that administrators gave themselves massive pay raises while eliminating school programs. In May, the college’s Board of Trustees passed a budget that consolidated more than 20 departments.
Italian-American heritage statue revealed in New Haven. “Indicando la via al futuro” made its debut on Sunday in Wooster Square. The title translates to “pointing the way to the future.” It was made to replace a Christopher Columbus statue that was removed in 2020.
