Staff Reports
New York just moved the goalposts on what it means to graduate high school. The State Education Department and the Board of Regents rolled out “NY Inspires,” a plan to drop the requirement that students pass Regents exams to earn a diploma and switch to a competency‑based, one‑diploma system. That is the big news, and it matters for students, teachers and parents across the state.
What NY Inspires actually does
Under NY Inspires, Regents exams will still exist, but passing them will no longer be the automatic ticket to a diploma. The state says it will phase out the Regents pass rule as a graduation requirement and move toward a competency model. In plain language, that means districts must show students can do certain skills or build portfolios and capstones instead of relying on one standardized test. The plan promises “guardrails,” but many districts still do not have clear rubrics or replacement tests ready.
Why parents and teachers should be worried
A competency system sounds modern until you see how it will be run. Districts are diverse: some have excellent staff and tight standards, others are chronically short on resources. Without strong, statewide rubrics and oversight, a one‑diploma model risks creating wildly different standards from one town to the next. That threatens the value of a New York diploma and makes it harder for colleges and employers to know what a graduate can actually do. Teachers are asking for concrete examples and timelines. So far, the state’s answers are thin.
Governor Kathy Hochul: messaging versus muscle
Governor Kathy Hochul has complained she learns about education changes in the newspapers and has pushed things like the cellphone ban and early childhood seats. That’s good PR. But the real power to set education rules in New York rests with the Board of Regents, which the Legislature elects. If the governor wanted to reclaim education policy, she would go to Speaker Carl Heastie and the Legislature and fight for change — or push to reform how Regents are chosen. Instead, what we get are photo ops and polite complaints. No wonder Albany’s insiders keep running the show.
Fix the problem, don’t repackage it
Reform is fine when it raises standards and gives parents more clarity, not less. If Albany insists on a competency model, it must deliver clear, statewide rubrics, a robust oversight plan, and a transition that does not cheapen diplomas. Lawmakers should also consider long‑overdue governance reform so the governor can be held responsible for education policy. Short of that, voters should demand a real debate about standards, school choice and accountability for unions and school bureaucracies that protect their turf instead of students.
Bottom line
NY Inspires is a major change to graduation requirements. It could be an improvement or a downgrade, depending on how Albany follows through. Right now, the state is short on specifics and long on spin. Parents, employers and taxpayers deserve better than politics dressed up as policy. If Governor Hochul wants to be more than a press‑release machine, she should show it — or step aside for someone who will.
