With multiple news outlets reporting that the Trump administration is drafting an executive measure to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, local educational advocates and experts had a message for Long Islanders.
"Don’t panic, but we’re going to pay attention," said Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. "Know that organizations like mine and school board members from across Long Island and New York State and the nation will be advocating to make sure that whatever changes come about will not negatively impact the children and their public education." Darwin Yanes and Laura Figueroa Hernandez report in NEWSDAY that the executive order would reportedly halt all functions of the department that aren’t enshrined in law or transfer powers to other agencies.
Vecchio noted that two federal laws would remain in place, even if the department was dismantled: The Every Student Succeeds Act, which governs public education and sets academic standards for K-12 students, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees "free and appropriate" public education for children with disabilities. Vecchio also pointed out that federal funding is usually a small portion of a school district’s funding, but he said people should be paying attention to any decrease.
Lars Clemensen, Hampton Bays Schools superintendent and president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, said the state's constitution protects the right to a free and appropriate education.
"We’re not at a point of panic," he said. "Schools districts will continue to deliver and be creative and respond to challenges sent our way."
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More than half of New York State’s first responders, including those in law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services, experience high levels of stress, burnout and anxiety, according to a state-funded report being released today.
Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the approximately $14,000 state-funded survey and subsequent report aim to identify the unique mental health challenges faced by first responders.
Chronic stress from exposure to traumatic events and everyday strain can significantly impact the mental health and wellness of first responders, according to the report, conducted by the State University of New York at New Paltz’s Institute for Disaster Mental Health and the Benjamin Center.
The report found that 68% of those surveyed experienced stress, 59% felt burned out, and 52% faced anxiety.
The report was commissioned by the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and conducted in 2024. More than 6,000 first responders from across the state took part in the voluntary survey, including those in law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, emergency communications and emergency management. Five follow-up focus groups were also held with emergency responders with varying lengths of service, including both those who volunteer and those for whom this is a career.
Governor Kathy Hochul, in her January executive budget proposal, announced the creation of a first responder counseling scholarship program through SUNY to encourage first responders to pursue counseling degrees and micro-credentials in areas such as trauma-informed care and peer support leadership. The scholarship aims to create a pipeline of mental health professionals who are equipped to support the emergency responder community.
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Riverhead Town’s first committee focusing on the needs of the town’s Hispanic and Latino communities was formed by the Town Board yesterday. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Hispanic Development, Empowerment and Education Committee is expected to “develop and recommend strategies to abate and address the issues related to and necessary to improve quality of life of Hispanic
