Monroe One BOCES District Superintendent Dan White spoke on behalf of the 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services of New York State during his presentations in front of the New York State Legislature on October 11. He was invited to speak about the civil service workforce in schools and ideas for the future. District Superintendent White also emphasized the role of BOCES in providing college courses to students.  

Making the civil service system more equitable 

When speaking about civil service tests, this quote from the District Superintendent sticks out: “We tell our students throughout their academic careers that their achievements are more than a single test score – the same should be true in their professional careers.” It was said during his recommendations to a Senate committee. BOCES are asking to partner with the State and Counties to increase and diversify the public service pipeline, and there is a list of reasons why.  

The civil service system in New York has been in place since the 1880s, but it is struggling to keep up with changes to the workforce and our State’s diverse population. In Superintendent White’s words, “In many instances, the test content is out of date; and the system is adequately complex that without a personal connection, those interested in entering public service may have a difficult time applying, navigating, and entering the workforce.”  

Many people cannot wait months for test results or accept provisional appointments, only to lose a position that they excelled at because they were not among the top three test takers. This brings us back to Dan White’s quote in paragraph two; achievements are more than a single test score. Given the variety of services that BOCES provide to component districts, roughly 50% of our employees are hired through the civil service system. While changes like in-person test centers and online testing were made to the application process, there is still more we can do to make this process more equitable.  

BOCES recommend New York State update the current testing system, increase frequency of testing, shorten times for scoring, and secure pathways for provisional employees, among other recommendations.  

College credit consistency 

Many college in high school programs are grant funded, allowing for the financial support needed to keep offering them. While BOCES is grateful for that structure, only a portion of college in high school offerings are covered. In the 2021-22 school year, at least 17,275 college credits were awarded to high school students through BOCES dual and concurrent enrollment programs. There are formal and informal arrangements that have been developed between BOCES and the hundreds of colleges across the state to meet the needs of students and communities, but this system is not perfect.  

District Superintendent White suggested that there should be a clear mechanism for tuition and support for students to make sure these college credit programs continue and continue to grow. The concern is that this patchwork of agreements results in inequitable access. BOCES are also asking for more state regulation over articulation agreements with higher education, ensuring that course credits will be accepted and will fulfill the same requirements that a course taken at a college or university would meet.  

District Superintendent White was touching on the burden of student loan debt when delivering his closing remarks. “...access to early college opportunities has the potential to decrease student and family reliance on student loans and aid packages, thereby increasing degree access and completion by allowing students to complete a Bachelor’s degree in fewer than four years – or, for those students entering a field which may require an Associate’s degree, bypass student debt entirely.”