State Education commissioner visits ASH

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 27, 2012) -- New York State Education Commissioner John King toured Albany School of Humanities on March 27 to see teachers in action and to talk with the staff about best practices to improve teaching and learning statewide.

ASH Principal Rosalyn Wallace and Assistant Principal Beverly Ivey guided Commissioner King and Board of Regents member James Jackson on visits to half a dozen classrooms. They discussed the critical importance of professional development for teachers and the new evaluation system to measure the job performance of teachers and principals.

Commissioner King and Regent Jackson visited a first-grade Academic Intervention Services class, a sixth-grade math class, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, the computer lab and a resource room. A Times Union photographer and Ch. 9 reporter accompanied Dr. King on the tour.

(Commissioner King is seated at lef in the photo watching ASH students demonstrate SCRATCH, a kid-friendly computer programming language designed by MIT. Students use the language to create their own interactive games, stories or projects. Commissioner King is joined by Principal Wallace, center, and Regent Jackson, right).

Following their visit to ASH, Commissioner King and Regent Jackson went to the South Colonie school district to tour a middle school.

The mission of the City School District of Albany is to educate and nurture all students to be responsible citizens, critical thinkers and lifelong learners to successfully compete in the global community by providing an academically rigorous and safe environment in partnership with parents, students and the community. The district serves about 8,700 students in 15 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.