January 2010

Issue for Decision

Will the Board of Regents approve my appointment of Ira Schwartz to the position of Assistant Commissioner, Accountability?

Reasons for Consideration

              Ira Schwartz has served since October 2009 as Interim Director of the Office of School and Community Services (New York City), which directs and coordinates State Education Department services and technical assistance to the New York City school district and education community.  The office also has statewide responsibility for the Department’s initiatives in the areas of School and District Accountability, School Improvement, Early Childhood Education and Reading, Migrant and Homeless Youth, Parent Involvement, and Title I/Compensatory Education.

              Prior to becoming interim director, Mr. Schwartz had served since 1993 as the Coordinator for Accountability, Policy and Administration at the Office of School Improvement and Community Services of the New York State Education Department.  Among other responsibilities, Mr. Schwartz served as chairperson of the Department’s School Accountability Workgroup and manager of the Department’s New York City Charter Schools Unit.  Since joining the State Education Department in 1981 as an Education Program Assistant Trainee, Mr. Schwartz has been an Assistant to the Associate Commissioner, an Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, and Project Director of the Regents New York City Project.  Mr. Schwartz was a lead designer of New York’s framework for meeting the school and district accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind and a Peer Reviewer for the United States Department of Education (USED) of other states’ NCLB accountability plans.  In 2009, Mr. Schwartz led the State Education Department team that successfully applied to the USED for approval for New York to participate in the USED’s differentiated accountability pilot program. 

Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Schwartz taught English as a second language in New York City and English as a foreign language in Japan.

Proposed Handling

              The Board of Regents will review Mr. Schwartz’s credentials and experience in Executive Session on January 11, 2010. 

Recommendation

I recommend that you take the following action:

VOTED, that the Board of Regents approve the appointment of Ira Schwartz to the position of Assistant Commissioner, Accountability effective January 12, 2010.