Gov. Hochul Challenges Plan to End Regents Exam Requirement for High School Graduation

Governor Kathy Hochul, who decisively defeated Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman on Tuesday, has stepped up criticism of New York's plan to phase out Regents exams as a high school graduation requirement. The class of 2027 will be the last group of students required to pass the exams under the current timeline, but state education officials have yet to announce what requirements will take their place. Hochul warned the shift lacks clarity and risks weakening the value of a New York diploma. "People see in the articles, 'New York State abandons Regents,'" she said on the Max Politics Podcast. "They think I'm New York. The buck should stop with me, given that we are the funder of education."

Hochul also renewed calls to give the governor's office direct control over the state Education Department, which currently answers to a board chosen by lawmakers rather than the governor. Spokesperson Jonah Allon said the governor is concerned about "the lack of clarity about what will replace" the Regents exams. State officials are developing new diploma requirements that could include hands-on projects, work-based learning, and dual enrollment, but no finalised plan has been announced. New York City officials have said students will only need to pass their classes to earn a diploma for the next three years.

Advocates are divided. Arlen Benjamin-Gomez of EdTrust-New York called the governor's involvement significant, while state Sen. John Liu cautioned that the Education Department's structure is set by law and the state constitution, and the governor will need to work within those boundaries.