Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 770

Friday, 30 January 2015 10:02

Rep. Elise Stefanik Spends Day with Ballston Spa Students

By | News

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. 

Read 9092 times

Blotter

  • New York State Police The New York State Police announced that it issued 5,576 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign began on Friday, March 15, and continued until Sunday, March 17. During the campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors detail. State Police also ticketed distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices. State Troopers arrested 132 people for DWI and investigated 199 crashes, which resulted in 25 people being injured and no fatalities. As part of the enforcement, Troopers also…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Heather DiCaprio sold property at 473 Garrett Rd to Justine Levine for $288,000 Sharon Willman sold property at 99 Jenkins Rd to Charles Lemley for $165,000 CORINTH George Montena sold property at 422 Oak St to Stephen James for $142,250 Mark Makler sold property at 313 Oak St to Sabrina Sinagra for $195,000 GREENFIELD Landlord Services of Upstate New York sold property at 1935 NYS Rt 9N to Cochise Properties LLC for $210,000 MALTA  Linda LaBarge sold property at 35 Snowberry Rd to Qu Haozheng for $270,000 Dennis Mitchell sold property at 60 Village Circle North to BGRS Relocation…
  • NYPA
  • Saratoga County Chamber
  • BBB Accredited Business
  • Discover Saratoga
  • Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association