Schools need to know what to work toward

Manhattan: Re “Council pushes for specifics on post-Regents grad requirements” (Sept. 23): Councilman Eric Dinowitz is right to ask for clarity about what will replace Regents exams. Moving beyond Regents doesn’t have to mean lowering expectations. But New York’s “Portrait of a Graduate” will only work if schools have a clear understanding of what students are expected to demonstrate and how educators should assess it.

At United Charter High Schools, we’ve been doing versions of this work for years. We piloted our own Portrait of a Graduate framework at our advanced math and science school in the Bronx, where students are assessed on skills such as critical thinking and communication through performance-based assignments and real-world activities. They build structured portfolios of their work and, before their senior year, present evidence of their learning to a panel of educators. As we’ve expanded this approach across our seven schools, we’ve worked hard to ensure that terms like “critical thinker” or “effective communicator” don’t simply become a checklist. We’ve learned that teachers need shared rubrics tied to thoughtfully designed competencies, and students need real opportunities to apply what they know and show their progress over time.

If students across the state are going to graduate under a competency-based system, educators need a common understanding of what mastery looks like and how students can demonstrate it. That’s where the rigor will come from.

Curtis Palmore, CEO, United Charter High Schools

Warming station

Bronx: It was reported last month that the Fulton Fish Market will receive $25 million to upgrade its facilities so that it may attract tourists. I have nothing against tourists — I used to be one. With this financial injection, it would be appreciated if some of the money would go into the construction of concrete shelters with heating facilities installed. After 30 years working at the market, it gets cold and damp down there. There isn’t any place to dry your hands or clothes, or just get warm. Besides, management always has a stopwatch handy. Old Man Winter has no mercy on the worker. The coldest I had to work in was -3 degrees Fahrenheit with snow and wind blowing around me. A heating/drying area where one can spread one’s arms without punching out his coworker would be appreciated.

Eric Wright

Scathing slight

Manhattan: I read with shock and great disappointment of our mayor’s oversight in not placing people of the Jewish faith on his judicial screening panel. Does this not fly in the face of reason? How is this not a blatant antisemitic action? Were it any other group, there would have been marches in the streets protesting this slight. Where are those who speak truth to power? Where are the civil rights advocates? Why isn’t this newspaper calling the mayor out on this? His display is petty and shows him to be nothing more than a mean-spirited bigot, and liar as well.

Murray Richman

Easily enacted

Manhattan: Thank you, future Assemblymember Illapa Sairitupac, for shining a light on our urgent need for climate action and on Gov. Hochul’s failures to act (“Use public power to curb climate change,” op-ed, Sept. 23). The vigorous, forward-looking Build Public Power Act that you cite, and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, stand as example victims of her failures: this past spring, while delaying the state’s budget by two months, Hochul sapped both of these acts of their urgency, authority and impact. But she could still salvage climate credit by signing the SUNNY Act and the Healthy Homes Right to Know Act, and by guiding the Public Service Commission to issue strong regulations repealing the 100-foot rule.

Thomas A. Caffrey

The lake remains

Patchogue, L.I.: I don’t care what Dumpster says or signs, Lake Ontario will always be Lake Ontario.

Lynda Welsh

Visual aid

Manhattan: My hearing is fairly good, but sometimes while watching TV, a tidbit will escape me: a name, a word, a phrase — and I then call up on-screen captions to clarify what I missed. I never dreamed that I’d embrace closed captioning. The term “closed” versus “open” indicates that the captions are visible text of spoken words and are usually set up by a remote control. The U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand smartly don’t distinguish between subtitles or captions and wisely use subtitles as the general term. Here in New York City, it’s a blessing for me to have the option when something escapes me to not have to ask the irritating, “What did she say?” I’m thankful.

James A. Fragale

Handicapper contest

Mamaroneck, N.Y.: The NFL season has begun, and I will be interested in who the top handicapper will be. I hope we have a King of the Hill competition with the handicappers, since the 1989 edition ended with everybody in that divisional round losing, leading to no winners. I wish the late, great handicapper Harvey Pack would say, “Noooo-body won the Daily News NFL King of the Hill competition.”

Thomas J. Cunningham

Dolly’s day

Brooklyn: Out of respect, Friday was dedicated as “Dolly Parton Day” (“Dolly Parton fans celebrate the ‘9 to 5’ singer on 9/25,” Sept. 26)! The woman was rich with not only talent, but motivation to help others. She believed in reading so she wrote several books, some for children and others for adults, all trying to inspire people to read. Thank God for Dolly Parton, a caring, compassionate human being who will be missed. What motivates me on my way to work is that song “9 to 5.” Yes, it’s a way to make a living for me for 53 years. Thank you, Dolly, for your music and motivation. The best way to honor her memory is in the saying “Each one teach one”!

Sharon Cesario

Unforgettable

Astoria: On Aug. 25, Dolly Parton, one of country music’s greatest singers, passed away at the age of 80. Dolly had a number of timeless, classic songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here You Come Again” and “9 to 5.” She teamed up with Kenny Rogers to perform the 1983 song “Islands in the Stream.” Dolly also became an actress and starred in “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Rhinestone.” She also became a successful entrepreneur and opened Dollywood, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I won’t forget a true country singer. Dolly Parton, RIP.

Kerry J. Hanft

Droid draft

Staten Island: I recently saw on the news a story where China is creating humanoid robots that can run faster than an Olympian sprinter and can jump to a height of 6 feet from a standing position. Then I thought, hey! Why not put a mop on their heads and let them declare for the upcoming WNBA draft?

Richard Buttermark