ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo has appointed several Capital District educators in his statewide Reimagine Education Advisory Council, a 19-member group to help “reimagine schools” amid COVID-19.
The Capital District educators are:
- Albany City School District Superintendent Kaweeda Adams
- South Colonie Central High School Master Teacher Stephanie Conklin
- Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy
- Guilderland Central School District Board President Seema Rivera
According to a press release from Gov. Cuomo’s office, the council consists of education leaders, educators, students and parents in lower and higher education institutions who will “help districts reimagine schools as they prepare to reopen while protecting health and safety, how virtual learning can bridge the gap, and supplement face to face education when schools reopen.”
The Reimagine Education Advisory Council is chaired by SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras. It will also collaborate with other education experts and stakeholders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the state.
These collaborations seek to determine how education should be like beyond COVID-19 by “using new technologies and to develop a blueprint to reimagine education in the new normal,” according to the press release.
Cuomo said, “When we closed school facilities because of the COVID-19 virus, our teachers and students rose to the occasion, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their heroic work. Like everything else, when we do reopen schools it’s not just about reopening as they were before, it’s about building back even better than before.”
He continued, “The collective expertise and experience of this new advisory council will help answer key questions about how we can strengthen New York’s entire education system for decades to come.”
Schools statewide began transitioning to online distance learning and closed their buildings to the public when COVID-19 worsened in the spring. While schools will remain closed through the end of the current semester, it’s unknown whether they can reopen in the fall.
For more information on the Reimagine Education Advisory Council and its full list of members, visit www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-announces-members-reimagine-education-advisory.
