Governor Hochul Supports Explicit Phonics Instruction at Albany’s National NSEA Distinguished School: A Visit to the Literacy Program

In the morning of Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul visited Albany School of Humanities to see an example of the City School District of Albany’s literacy program in action. The governor was impressed with the district’s approach to explicit phonics instruction and showed her support for this method. Since 2016, the district has been a leader in this area, with student results supporting this approach.

After visiting the classroom, Governor Hochul, fifth-grader Raylena Terrell, Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter, and New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person held a news conference in the school’s library. Raylena shared her passion for reading and dream of becoming a marine biologist, praising the governor for her support of reading initiatives statewide.

Superintendent Hochreiter expressed gratitude for Governor Hochul’s visit to Albany School of Humanities, a National NSEA Distinguished School. He thanked the governor for her leadership in prioritizing this critical educational initiative for all of New York’s students.

If you want to learn more about the district’s literacy program, you can read the cover story in the fall edition of “Capital Education.”