Mills made his mark
State education commissioner’s legacy includes push for student achievement
New York State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills, who has announced he will resign by June, can be proud of the legacy of expectations he is leaving behind as he leaves the office he has held for 13 years.
During his tenure, Regents exam requirements and assessment testing in elementary and middle schools were the key to his reform effort, even before assessment testing was required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That, in and of itself, will serve as a profound legacy.
The changes Mills made were in concert with the Board of Regents — deliberative changes in standards, assessments and guidelines, with low passing scores at first, and teaching preparation programs with 175 hours of teacher training required.
The spotlight was put on special education, and on ensuring data was reported about how students were faring by gender, race, geography, district and school. New York State was ahead of the national curve in that regard, going to court in one case about mandates that only certified teachers could teach poor children in schools under state quality review. The state, and the children, won.
Mills’ campaign to require that all state high school students pass state Regents exams in order to graduate never wavered. Higher expectations tend to produce greater results, even in the poorest school districts. And Mills’ attention to urban school districts has been admirable.
The effort did not go unpunished. Controversy was stirred by opponents to the high-stakes testing the Regents mandates required, with critics of “teaching to the test” growing louder amid a couple of notable faux pas. Specifically, the Math A exam a few years ago, which 3,000 seniors statewide failed, drew protests. That was followed by an admission by state education officials that the Math B exam was too hard.
Mills could be accused of an unbending emphasis on college preparatory schooling, although changes in field services and an expansion of career education are on the Regents’ horizon as he finishes his service.
But Mills was correct in insisting upon the highest academic achievement, whether training America’s next president or plumber. Board of Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett has made it clear that high-stakes testing will not be watered down under the next state education commissioner. Nor should it be.
Mills has worked diligently throughout his career and for the state of New York to ensure that its students have a legitimate chance at achieving their own personal dreams. And, for that, he deserves thanks.
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