Gov. Hochul Raises Concerns Over New York's Plan to Drop Regents Exams Without a Replacement

Speaking on the Max Politics Podcast, Governor Kathy Hochul said she was alarmed that the state Board of Regents was phasing out Regents exams as a graduation requirement without a defined plan for what would take their place. The class of 2027 is the final cohort required to pass Regents exams under the state's current timeline. For the next three years, New York City has said students will need only to pass their classes to earn a diploma. Hochul, who recently defeated Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman, argued that responsibility for education outcomes should rest with her office, saying "the buck should stop with me, given that we are the funder of education." She also renewed her push for the governor's office to gain greater control over the state Education Department, which currently answers to a board chosen by state lawmakers rather than the chief executive. Hochul's spokesperson Jonah Allon echoed those concerns, saying the Board of Regents has "a responsibility to preserve academic rigor and ensure clear, consistent graduation standards across the state." The governor and the Education Department have previously clashed on other issues, including a statewide school cellphone ban, which Hochul ultimately signed into law over the department commissioner's preference for a district-by-district approach.