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New York City Council
Oversight - Portrait of a Graduate
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
Council staff welcomes attendees, reminds them to fill out witness slips, says no food or drink is allowed, and asks everyone to turn off electronic devices. The Chair briefly notes open meetings laws before staff tells the Chair they are ready to begin.
Dinowitz remarks that a staffer is his twin sister, jokes that they look identical, and thanks Amoy. He then greets everyone and begins the hearing.
Dinowitz identifies himself as a former public school teacher and chair of the Education Committee. He welcomes attendees to the oversight hearing on Portrait of a Graduate and asks the central question: how do you know you are doing a good job?
Dinowitz says whatever gets assessed gets investment, but Regents exams do not measure what we want students to do or be. He cites ELA exams that do not require reading a whole book, global studies exams without independent research, and low algebra passing thresholds.
Dinowitz describes the seven-year state review of graduation requirements, the Blue Ribbon Commission on graduation measures, and the July 2025 adoption of Portrait of a Graduate. He says the review found graduation measures were not serving students of color, students with disabilities, English language learners, or low-income students well.
Dinowitz lists the six Portrait attributes: academically prepared, creative innovator, critical thinker, effective communicator, global citizen, and reflective and future-focused. He notes that students graduating in 2027-28 and later will earn a single New York State diploma without separate diploma assessment requirements.
Dinowitz says Regents exams are not disappearing completely and will remain as measures of state learning standards and federal accountability. What is ending is the requirement that students pass them to earn a diploma, with districts expected to use locally developed assessment strategies.
Dinowitz says the shift puts a great deal of weight on the NYC Department of Education and notes the state timeline is incomplete. He lists questions for the hearing: what is being done now for students in grades 9-11, expanding work-based learning, learning from consortium schools, and coordinating with NYSED.
Dinowitz says the Portrait could radically transform schools or become a compliance checklist that sacrifices quality education for graduation rates. He thanks committee members and staff for their work on the hearing.
Dinowitz thanks staff, reminds witnesses to fill out slips, says there will be no voting today, and limits testimony to two minutes and council questions to five minutes. He administers the affirmation to mayoral administration witnesses and tells them they may begin.
Giunta introduces herself and her colleagues from NYC Public Schools, including Dr. Alan Cheng, Jane Martinez-Dowling, Cordelia Veve, Katie Hansen, Sharon Rensher, and Michael Prayor. She thanks the Council and begins describing the statewide effort that started with the 2019 Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures.
Giunta says more than 20 states are reexamining graduation requirements to align with college, careers, and civic life. She describes New York Inspires as an invitation to rethink what it means for a student to graduate prepared, and asks what every student should know, be able to do, and be prepared for.
Giunta says the Portrait of a Graduate was adopted in 2025 and shifts the conversation from what students complete to what they can demonstrate. She says this is not about lowering expectations but raising them, with examples like oral defenses, capstones, and portfolios, while academic rigor in core subjects remains essential.
Giunta says moving beyond test scores as the sole measurement raises expectations. She says decoupling Regents from graduation opens doors for multiple demonstrations of learning, and NYCPS will build on student pathways, work-based learning, and affinity partnerships. She notes full implementation is targeted for 2029-30.
Giunta says every student in every neighborhood should have access to high-quality learning experiences and that equity must remain central. She says NYCPS will engage educators, families, students, higher education partners, employers, community organizations, and elected officials, and closes by thanking the Council.
Dinowitz says principals, teachers, and parents lack guidance about what Portrait looks like in practice. He asks what work the DOE has done to date to plan for implementation. Giunta describes engagement with the Blue Ribbon Commission and trainings for superintendents and principals.
Dinowitz interrupts to ask what schools are currently doing Portrait work. Giunta backs up to explain system-readiness efforts, then turns to Dr. Alan Cheng to describe the core team and steering committee leading the work.
Cheng says NYC already has a head start through Future Ready NYC and affinity partners. He says DOE has brought together superintendents and principals for 45 meetings on the timeline and six essential proficiencies, and is doing asset mapping and planning citywide professional learning.
Dinowitz says principals and teachers have heard broad strokes and timelines but not what Portrait looks like in the classroom. He asks what rigorous experiential learning actually looks like and how it differs from a regular class project.
Dowling says personal finance launched this year for grades 5-12, with 50% of middle and high school students scheduled for fall instruction. She describes vetted curriculum options, district point people, and summer institute training for 1,600 educators.
Dinowitz asks if a 10th grader in Brooklyn using EverFi will be assessed on the same standards as a student in the Bronx. Dowling says standards are the same but implementation models and assessments vary, and Cheng adds that DOE is norming and scoring across schools to ensure consistency.
Dinowitz shares concern that without a rigorous replacement for Regents, schools may receive pressure to pass students through credit accrual alone. He says standardized rubrics and norming are critical to maintaining quality across the city.
Joseph asks if DOE has a written implementation plan and when it will be released publicly. Giunta describes a cross-office core team and steering committee, and Katie Hansen says the steering committee has about 20 members including superintendents and representatives from central offices.
Joseph asks what safeguards exist for multilingual learners and students with disabilities, noting they often account for graduation declines. Giunta says multiple measures will help these students demonstrate knowledge in new ways and that the DIALL team is included in planning professional learning.
Joseph asks for the specific professional development plan, budget, and number of schools that have received Portrait-aligned training. Giunta says the summer institute reached 1,600 educators and that DOE is leveraging existing resources rather than creating a standalone Portrait budget.
Joseph asks how DOE will communicate with students and parents in the first affected cohorts. Giunta says DOE is entering its communications plan now and will share the timeline and expectations, while noting current graduation measures remain until the state formalizes changes.
Joseph asks how NYC can build on Future Ready, career readiness, and apprenticeship programs. Dowling describes existing infrastructure including work-based learning, CTE, Learning to Work, industry commissions, and partnerships with DYCD and DCAS.
Joseph asks how DOE measures success of work-based learning. Dowling cites outcomes including increased college enrollment, $85 million in wages and tuition savings over five years, and employer feedback on the value students add in workplaces.
Dinowitz asks if DOE intends different standards for students with disabilities under Portrait, as was the case with some Regents flexibilities. Alan Cheng says all students will be held to high standards, rubrics set expectations, and multiple ways to demonstrate learning with accommodations, but not lower standards.
Narcisse asks whether curriculum design support at the school level is mandatory or volunteer. Giunta says DOE is not bringing in new curriculum but using existing NYC Reads and Solves materials and professional learning to rethink delivery and assessment.
Narcisse reports that families and students do not know what is required of them anymore. Giunta asks Katie Hansen to break down the timeline clearly for families.
Hansen says current seniors still graduate against 44 credits and generally five exams. If the Board of Regents adopts changes, current juniors and below will graduate without Regents exams, and the advanced Regents diploma remains an option. The new transcript is targeted for 2029-30.
Narcisse asks whether DOE will expand employer and community partner placements and whether there is money in the budget. Giunta says expanding internships is a priority. Dowling describes the employer ecosystem, Pathways Advisory Council, CareerWise New York, and paid apprenticeships.
Joseph thanks the panel and emphasizes equity and support for students. She yields back to the Chair.
Dinowitz asks whether a current junior will still need to take Regents exams next year. Katie Hansen says students must still earn 44 credits but there will not be a separate assessment system for graduation, and DOE is telling principals not to let students skip Regents yet.
Dinowitz notes that schools near City Hall have industry and government access, while other schools are near a safe injection site or men's shelter. He says equity must account for unequal access to partners and opportunities.
Wong asks about high chronic absenteeism rates and what DOE is doing to get students to school. Giunta describes attendance teams, school avoidance liaisons, and root-cause work with families, but says she does not have attendance data at hand.
Wong cites EdTrust New York testimony that schools still do not know how to measure proficiency for current high school students. Giunta says DOE is about to begin broader community engagement and is relying on principals, CECs, and parent leadership structures to share information.
Wong asks who will take Regents if they are not getting a Regents diploma. Katie Hansen says Regents will still be administered and remain part of the advanced Regents diploma and seals or endorsements like civic readiness and biliteracy.
Wong asks if a CTE-endorsed diploma will become a CTE seal. Hansen says seal and endorsement are synonyms, CTE remains a sticker on the diploma, and no new seals have been created yet by the state.
Wong says counselors do not know how to program students toward seals under the new structure. Hansen says existing academic policy resources provide guidance for current programs and DOE will turn key any new state guidance when it becomes available.
Dinowitz says dozens of principals he has spoken with do not know what to do beyond saying their school has CTE or seal programs. Giunta acknowledges there is ambiguity while state guidance evolves and says DOE is socializing the four transformations and six attributes.
Cheng says principals should be thinking about designing rigorous learning opportunities. Dinowitz pushes back that schools need structure and standardized rubrics, and Cheng brings up Superintendent Michael Prayor to give concrete examples.
Dinowitz administers the affirmation to Michael Prayor, superintendent of Brooklyn South High Schools, and asks him to describe what Portrait-aligned learning actually looks like in schools.
Prayor, who served on the Blue Ribbon Commission, describes HEAT (Healthcare, Energy, Education, Agriculture, Technology), a place-based program with partners like the Federal Reserve Bank, Cisco, and Maimonides Hospital. Students research real problems and defend proposals before experts.
Prayor says students study the Freedom Riders and travel south, study Poland and Holocaust survivor testimony, and examine Barbados and the transatlantic slave trade. They produce research papers, documentaries, and civic action projects defended before panels.
Dinowitz asks about assessment criteria and whether rubrics go through DOE. Prayor says rubrics are teacher-created using standards and reviewed with academic policy, and Dinowitz confirms they are approved by DOE Central.
Dinowitz asks how many students engage in these programs. Prayor says about 400 11th graders participate, but Brooklyn South has about 31,000 high schoolers and roughly 10,000 11th graders. Dinowitz notes the scale challenge.
Dinowitz asks how DOE will expand these opportunities to every 11th grader. Cheng says DOE is working with superintendents to share practices, leverage existing programs like seals, CTE, and portfolios, and use report cards and transcripts to recognize rigor.
Dinowitz says the Portrait starts in 2027-28, teachers and principals need training and direction, and asks about structural supports. He also plugs the upcoming civics hearing and Seal of Civic Readiness.
Cheng clarifies that state requirements for measuring and monitoring Portrait proficiencies take effect in 2029, not 2027. He says DOE wants to be ahead of the curve and already has examples.
Dinowitz says communication between DOE, principals, teachers, and families needs work. He asks if DOE has completed asset mapping. Cheng says DOE has a robust sense of existing practices including Future Ready, affinity partners, and consortium schools.
Dinowitz asks what structure exists for principals and teachers from non-portfolio schools to visit consortium schools and how many intervisitations have been done. Giunta says the old program is not currently stood up but visits have occurred.
Dinowitz says schools need funding, coverage for teachers, and support for professional development. He says consortium schools should be compensated for hosting and training, and DOE should commit resources and structure.
Wong says CEC members and citywide councils have not been engaged in the process. Giunta says DOE is entering the next step of local CEC conversations and welcomes Sharon Rensher to describe prior outreach.
Rensher, Senior Executive Director for State and Federal Education Policy, describes NYCPS representation on the Blue Ribbon Commission, borough stakeholder meetings in 2020-2021, and student feedback that Regents prep took time away from projects, internships, and creative work.
Dinowitz asks if DOE will ensure research is a central element in portfolio assessments. Alan Cheng answers yes. Dinowitz notes that was the easiest answer he has received.
Dinowitz asks what level—school, superintendent, or central—will review rubrics. Cheng outlines the sequence: state standards, DOE academic guidelines, curriculum team quality review, and backward mapping from Portrait competencies.
Dinowitz says DOE is the largest district and should be vocal about what guidance should look like, citing youth journalism as an example. Cheng says DOE is taking leadership and leveraging existing strengths and student voices.
Dinowitz says teachers have spent careers teaching to tests and will need extensive professional development. He hopes DOE is prepared and raises concerns about affinity contracts and private vendor costs.
Dinowitz notes the affinity contract was considered for cuts last budget cycle and asks for a commitment not to cut it. Giunta says DOE is not in budget season but takes the feedback and values affinity partners.
Dinowitz says DOE has a wealth of internal expertise through affinity networks, consortium schools, internationals, and the UFT Teacher Center. He warns against expensive private vendor contracts for training.
Wong asks how personal finance rollout is going and who teaches it. Dowling says schools can use a designated course, embedded instruction, CTE pathway, or combination, and teachers may be social studies, CTE, or math depending on the school model.
Wong asks if DOE has begun planning for the climate education requirement effective in 2027-28. Cordelia Veve says DOE is mapping state climate standards into existing science curriculum and will provide guidance to schools.
Wong asks what lessons from personal finance apply to climate education. Veve says DOE learned from NYC Reads and Solves that central clarity and guidance plus local flexibility are critical, and that consistency in materials and collaboration matter.
Dinowitz repeats Veve's phrase 'clarity and guidance from Central' and thanks the panel. He notes this is the biggest change to high school graduation he has seen.
Dinowitz says this is the biggest change to graduation requirements he has seen. NYC can make it special and rigorous or fail students. He calls for increased communication, guidance, support, and accountability.
Giunta thanks the Council for the opportunity to clarify and have a public conversation. She acknowledges DOE must get better at being clear about what it is doing now and next, and calls it a promise on their checklist.
Dinowitz opens public testimony, reminds the public to remain silent, says the witness table is reserved for testifiers, and prohibits video recording from the table. He sets two minutes per speaker, says students go first, and explains how to submit written testimony.
Madison James, a junior at Edward R. Murrow High School, describes her journalism experience reporting on class size and curriculum. She asks DOE to make journalism education accessible to every NYC public high school student through the Portrait implementation plan.
Damaris Mañay, a junior at Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy, says journalism allowed her to write in Spanish and English and see her culture and language as strengths. She asks for support for bilingual student journalists.
Samra Jara, a junior at BELLA, explains how the IB learner profiles align with Portrait attributes. She describes writing an article on ICE that developed her communication, critical thinking, global citizenship, and academic preparedness.
Olivia Wright, a senior at MELS, says she took all Regents and also completed projects. Projects helped her collaborate, retain content, and develop public speaking and time management skills. She supports Portrait while noting Regents can still be useful.
Dinowitz asks students who took the English Regents how journalism work compares to Regents prep. Damaris Mañay responds in Spanish that journalism helps her with reading and writing texts, and Dinowitz thanks the panel.
Charlotte Arzuian, a junior at Bard Early College Manhattan, introduces a panel of six students and two YJC representatives. She argues journalism develops critical thinking and civic responsibility central to Portrait of a Graduate and asks for journalism in all 500 high schools.
Julius Marinov, a senior at High School for Environmental Studies, says his school's journalism club is underfunded and may not survive. He cites Baruch College research that 73% of NYC public high schools lack a journalism program and asks DOE to build journalism into Portrait.
Kamani Mitchell, a student at Brooklyn Institute of Liberal Arts, says her school had only an after-school club and administration would not dedicate a teacher. She says YJC has only a 14% acceptance rate due to demand and asks DOE to prioritize journalism in Portrait.
Sarah Vasquez-Layton, an 11th grader at Urban Assembly School for Media Studies, says she was forced into other classes to meet testing and graduation requirements. She could not take journalism until this semester and asks the Council to acknowledge journalism's role in change.
Ezene Wonkwah, an 11th grader at Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, says her school's journalism program died off. Through YJC she developed communication, critical thinking, and perspective-taking, and asks DOE to make journalism a core part of Portrait.
Kiara Caperso, a junior at Bronx High School of Science, describes her school's strong journalism program. She says students should not have to attend a specialized school or live in a certain zip code to access journalism education.
Sophie Mode of the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition describes placing 36 students in paid internships across 11 newsrooms. She says 77% of participants said the program influenced their career aspirations and 90% would recommend it, calling this the true Portrait of a Graduate.
CJ Sánchez, director of the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition, thanks the Council for a $280,000 investment in Journalism for All. He says Local Law 27 reports are incomplete and asks DOE to refine reporting methodology and support scalable Portrait implementation through journalism.
Dinowitz asks for a quick example of journalism changing a student's perspective. Sarah Vasquez-Layton describes researching Colombia's new president and changing her political view after investigating different sources.
Dinowitz calls Irvin Guato, Melissa Michelle, Angel Tejada, Jose Jimenez, and Eduardo Antonetti to testify. Staff helps seat the panel and confirms speaking order.
Melissa Michelle, a 12th grader from Haiti, describes passing six PBATs including a social studies paper on the Lenape. She says presenting to a panel and internships built her confidence and leadership skills.
Angel Tejada, 18, from the Dominican Republic, describes attending International Community High School, a 10th grade internship, and Columbia's Summer High School Academy for engineers, where he studied electrical engineering, solar energy, and Python.
Erwin Guato, 18, from Ecuador, attends Pan American International High School at Monroe. He describes a social studies portfolio on vaping and says presentations helped him communicate and prepare for college and career.
Eduardo Antonetti, Senior Director at Internationals Network and a former NYC teacher, says Regents forced him to rush curriculum and teach to the test. Internationals' performance-based assessment system allowed rigorous, authentic demonstrations and individualized support.
Jose Jimenez, a graduate of International High School at LaGuardia and Senior Director at Internationals Network, says his own experience as an immigrant multilingual learner matches Portrait attributes. He urges the Council and NYCPS to recognize Internationals Network as a model and partner.
Seaver Chen, a senior at Curtis High School and ASAP youth advocate, says being targeted by racist jokes in middle school was brushed off by faculty. He argues schools need restorative justice and culturally responsive adults so students feel safe and can become effective communicators.
Rian Bato, a senior at Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences and ASAP advocate, says she felt isolated as one of few Filipinos and faced stereotypes. She calls for inclusive curriculum, mental health support, and global citizenship education.
Eric Lee, a senior at Queens High School for the Sciences and ASAP advocate, says he translates for his parents and peers fear speaking due to broken English. He calls for real language access, culturally responsive curriculum including AAPI history, and measuring belonging.
Tabitha Peterson, a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School and ASAP advocate, says critical thinking and cultural awareness are key to safe spaces. She says lack of AAPI history and the model minority myth harm minority students and calls for inclusive curriculum and bridge building.
Dinowitz thanks student leaders and calls Ariana Misha, Jeannie Ferrari, Xavier Otero, Bashir Joara, Vera Shengalia, and Eric Levine to testify.
Jeanne Ferrari, principal of Humanities Preparatory Academy and Beacon School, says consortium schools use performance-based assessments where students research, write, and orally defend college-level work before panels. She asks to sustain the consortium district structure.
Xavier Otero, a senior at Middle College High School, says traditional middle school made him shy and test-driven. At consortium school he wrote a social studies PBAT on Elon Musk and government power, became more collaborative, and plans to become a firefighter.
Ariana Misha, a junior at New York Institute for Collaborative Education, says she left a traditional high school that emphasized AP classes. At NICE she did mock UN, Model UN, debate, and newspaper, and says education should create graduates who can change the world.
Bashir Juara, from Gambia, attended madrasa before moving to the US. At International Community High School he learned English through Greek mythology and completed a PBAT on Zeno's paradox, later graduating from Cambridge with a master's, crediting the consortium model.
Vera Shengalia, parent of a consortium graduate and current Beacon student, says her daughter arrived from a third-world country and found her voice through performance-based assessments. Her daughter now studies at Cooper Union and was prepared to think, not just draw.
Eric Levine, ninth grade social studies teacher and UFT chapter leader at Harvest Collegiate, says he hated his high-performing Regents high school. He now teaches in a consortium school where he can design rigorous, responsive classes that prioritize critical thinking and communication.
Dinowitz calls Randy Levine, Daniela Souza-Egarov, Cherie Gibson, Ann Nelson, Jordan Pineda, David Bloomfield, and Kimberly Olson to testify.
David Bloomfield, Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center, says the state Regents meeting gave no confidence in defining Portrait. He warns exams may persist and return to teaching to the test, and urges the Council to recommend a pause until the field fills in blanks, especially for multilingual learners and students with disabilities.
Annie Nelson, policy analyst at Children's Aid, says Portrait's success depends on supports and experiences. She highlights community school strategies and urges the Council to establish 100 new community schools by fiscal 2029, prioritizing under-resourced neighborhoods.
Daniela Souza Egorov, a parent and Manhattan Institute fellow, says Regents exams have long signaled rigor and accountability. She argues eliminating them will lower diploma value and mask failure to teach basic skills, and calls for school choice.
Sheree Gibson, a NYC public school alum, parent, and Blue Ribbon Commission member, says Portrait came from stakeholder feedback that a Regents-focused system failed to prepare students for post-secondary success. She argues rigor is not found in a one-day exam.
Randi Levine, Policy Director at Advocates for Children, supports multiple pathways and decoupling Regents. She calls for extensive stakeholder engagement, drawing on existing performance-assessment expertise, a comprehensive communications plan, and targeted supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Jordan Panetta, policy lead at EdTrust New York, says the state's rollout raises concerns about access, comparability, rigor, and accountability. He urges NYSED and the Council to delay implementation and recommends a task force, vetted assessments, competency-based evaluations, and using consortium schools as models.
Kimberly Olson, Executive Director of NYC Arts and Education Roundtable, says arts education develops skills aligned with Portrait attributes but Regents exams squeezed arts out. She asks for clear guidance, more certified arts teachers, professional development, and strategic partnerships.
Dinowitz calls Imanita Sanchez, Timothy Barba, Beth Fertig, E.T. Rodriguez, Kevin Benoit, and Iker Chiquitaco to testify.
Beth Fertig, Executive Director of Press Pass NYC, says student journalism builds critical thinking, communication, and global citizenship. She asks for funding to train teachers through advisor fellowships so schools can build newsrooms.
E.T. Rodriguez, journalist, professor, and Press Pass project manager, says his college students lack curiosity and public speaking skills. He says Regents are not necessary and calls for dedicated journalism teachers and a Bronx Journalism Hub.
Kevin Benoit, school program manager at Press Pass NYC, says journalism builds critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement. He has worked in schools across Brooklyn and Queens and says no one-size-fits-all approach will work without trained teachers and support.
Dinowitz asks what role nonprofits can play in developing rigorous assessments. Beth Fertig says Press Pass trains teachers and follows up in schools. Kevin Benoit says schools need common standards so students across neighborhoods are judged on the same basis.
Dinowitz calls Edgar Rodriguez, AJ Rothman Noonan, Lara Evangelista, David Adams, and Aurora Kushner to testify.
Edgar Rodriguez, VP at New Visions for Public Schools, says schools must reorganize teaching and assessment but teachers lack training. He says affinity organizations serve a third of high schools and have field-tested project-based curriculum ready to support the transition.
David Adams, CEO of Urban Assembly, says Portrait aligns with Urban Assembly's work in social-emotional learning and post-secondary readiness. His network's class of 2024 had a 90.3% graduation rate, and he offers to test, codify, and scale practices.
AJ Rathmann-Noonan, Executive Director of the NY Performance Standards Consortium, says changing assessment requires reorienting school culture, top-down support for bottom-up reform, and lateral accountability. She invites the Council to moderation studies and intervisitation days.
Aurora Kushner, VP at NYC Outward Bound Schools, says moving away from Regents does not dilute rigor. Outward Bound's project-based units, advisory structure, and presentations of learning produce strong graduation, enrollment, and climate outcomes.
Laura Evangelista, Executive Director of Internationals Network and former principal of Flushing International, describes shifting to performance-based assessments requiring six defended tasks. She says this deepened rigor and used affinity district structures for professional learning.
Dinowitz asks if DOE has leaned on affinity partners enough. David Adams says superintendent accountability is not organized around scaling or innovation. Edgar Rodriguez says work with the Office of Pathways on metrics is flourishing but not explicitly tied to Portrait.
Dinowitz concludes the panel is ready to work but DOE is not leveraging their skills enough. AJ Rathmann-Noonan says educators are willing to share and points to DOE staff connected to consortium schools. Laura Evangelista says schools hosted visitations before and will again.
Dinowitz calls Troy Kingston, Alisa Ukaikina, Edward Gordon, Nadav Zimer, and Kamala Carmen to testify.
Kamala Carmen, parent of two consortium graduates, says her children attained Portrait attributes through inquiry-based, performance-assessed schooling. She opted them out of state tests and criticizes NYC Reads and Solves as corporate curriculum.
Edward Gordon, president of Nubian Conservatory of Music and a former NYC teacher, argues rap has few redeeming qualities and should not be brought into schools. He calls for orchestras, choruses, bands, and repair of a school organ.
Alisa Uchaikina, a senior at Kingsborough Early College, says her school lacks a journalism club but a fellowship let her write about topics she cares about and find her voice. She asks DOE to support journalism education in all schools.
Nadav Zeimer, a former physics teacher and principal, argues Regents create perverse incentives and AI makes take-home essays unreliable. He calls for validated video portfolios and expanding journalism so students have authentic audiences and become creators, not scrollers.
Dinowitz calls Dominique Jones, Joni Rivera, Ellen McHugh, and Teresa Rainian to testify.
Dominique Jones, Executive Director of Global Kids, says CBOs serving 30 schools can reinforce Portrait learning through global citizenship programming and evaluation expertise. She suggests joint hearings with the youth committee and DYCD to leverage resources.
Teresa Ranieri, a veteran NYC educator, says Portrait begins with youngest learners and requires recurring funding for teacher professional learning, coaching, intervention, and family engagement. She warns donations alone will not sustain it.
Joni Rivera, Assistant VP at New York Foundling, says Portrait must include stability, belonging, self-advocacy, and supported transition for foster youth. She cites Road to Success's 88% graduation rate and asks for early identification, coordination, and investment in individualized models.
Dinowitz thanks in-person testifiers and says children are more than test scores. He says the hearing will now move to remote testimony and calls Kaliris Salas-Ramirez.
Salas-Ramirez, CEC4 president and parent of a consortium student with an IEP, says performance-based and inquiry learning helped her son find his voice. She supports Portrait but calls NYC Reads and Solves culturally destructive and not aligned with culturally responsive curriculum.
Dinowitz thanks DOE and all who testified, says much work remains on communication, best practices, and rigor. He asks if anyone else wishes to testify, sees no one, confirms no one on Zoom, and adjourns the hearing.