How to resolve AdBlock issue? Congresswoman Reads to Kindergarteners, Tours Classrooms
BALLSTON SPA – Students in the Ballston Spa School District welcomed a special visitor to their classrooms last Friday – freshman Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of District 21.
Rep. Stefanik (R-NY-21) attended several education-related meetings and events in the school district Friday, Jan. 23. Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, toured Malta’s Clean Technologies Early College High School, participated in a Superintendent Round Table, held a discussion with student council members and U.S. History students, read to kindergarteners and toured Gordon Creek Elementary School.
“The kids are really excited,” said Kent Baker, Principal of Gordon Creek Elementary School. “They understand what a treat it is to have her here.”
Rep. Stefanik read the classic children’s book, “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats, to around 80 kindergarten students from four classrooms at Gordon Creek and answered questions from the group before touring the school -- one of the newest in New York State.
Stopping in various classrooms from first grade to fifth grade and even the special education classrooms, Stefanik got a first-hand look at how students in the district spend an average day.
The district, which has continually emphasized its STEM initiatives, is home to a successful robotics team and even incorporates two humanoid robots into the classroom to help students with science, math, ELA and literacy -- accomplishments Rep. Stefanik found impressive.
“As I toured the classrooms, the use of technology in the classrooms and the teachers support for utilizing 21st Century technology was really exciting,” said Stefanik. “We, as a country, need to focus more on the STEM fields and it was great to see Ballston Spa be able to promote their focus on STEM education.”
Maintaining high quality teachers that embrace “forward-leaning” education is something Stefanik, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, says is one of the topics the committee will discuss over the next two years. Another point of discussion will relate to ensuring the nation’s education system fits its economic needs.
“I also think higher education will be a focus -- making sure our higher education institutions, both two-year and four-year programs are effective and cost-effective,” said Stefanik. “I think there’s a lot that’s going to be happening in the committee.”
Perhaps one of the committee’s more heated discussions will center on Common Core, a set of K-12 math and English language standards adopted by most states that has become increasingly controversial over the past year, and the implementation challenges related to the initiative.
As for that issue, Stefanik says she would like to see local school districts have more control over their curriculums.
“I believe in more localized control and flexibility in education policy and I think the ‘one size fits all’ approach and the over-testing of Common Core...we do have implementation challenges,” said Stefanik. “I do think we need standards as a country and as a state, but I think we need to figure out what the right balance is in terms of how we measure that accountability and how often we’re testing our kids because I’m really concerned about the over-testing.”
Stefanik wrapped up her day in Latham, where she spoke with the New York State United Teachers union.
