VIDEO RELEASE: State of NY Schools

January 23, 2013 Legislative & Political Updates

For immediate release: January 23, 2013
Contact: Emily Karol
Emily@aqeny.org / (518) 432-5315 ext. 102

RELEASE

Proposed Budget = More Classroom Cuts
Video release: “Will you fund our schools?”

New York State schools are in crisis. The proposed New York State Budget provides a 4.4% increase in education funding. Unfortunately, this amount is inadequate to prevent more classroom cuts. Last year the state provided almost the exact same amount of funding, and schools cut 5,000 educators’ positions, and made program cuts to summer school, arts, music, Advanced Placement courses, tutoring and more.   Today, Educate NY Now is releasing the State of New York’s Schools video titled, “Will you fund our schools?” Click here to watch the short video.
Over the past three years, schools have cut 35,000 educators as a result of more than $2 billion in school aid cuts. The 4 percent restoration to schools does not even keep up with the rising inflation of schools’ costs. Six years ago the state committed to providing adequate funding so that every student receives a “sound basic education,” but today countless school districts are on the brink of financial and/or educational insolvency. A generation of students is now entering school with fewer opportunities than their peers before them.

As the legislature prepares to respond to the Governor’s budget, one question is directed to them: “Will you fund our schools?”
Click here to watch the video.

Follow the conversation on Twitter: #educatenynow

Educate NY Now unifies parents, students, educators, administrators, unions, school board members, community organizations, civil rights groups, education advocates and others statewide around a broad-based campaign to demand that our state government fulfills New York’s constitutional obligation to provide all students with a quality education.

###