Legislative & Political Updates
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(March 30, 2009) AQE & CFE Issue Letter to Hon. Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, Regarding NYS Usage of Stimulus Education Dollars
Click HERE to read the letter
Click HERE to read media coverage
(February 11, 2009) AQE Releases Statewide Fiscal Impact Analysis of the Governor's $2.5b Education Budget Cut
“From the Southern Tier to the North Country and from(January 7, 2009) AQE Responds to 2009 State of State
“Governor Paterson hit the right message when he said that we must protect our school children, unfortunately there is a total disconnect between this speech and his budget that takes $2.5 billion out of our schools,” said
(December 16, 2008) AQE Responds to Governor Paterson's Executive Budget
(November 17, 2008) AQE and Major Education Advocates Criticize Governor Paterson's Proposed School Cuts for Turning Back the Clock on Educational Equity
“Taking $5,000 to $12,000 out of a child’s classroom in the middle of the year will be devastating. The Governor could be making a much bigger effort to protect our school children, but instead he is protecting the highest income earners in the state,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education. “Governor Paterson could raise as much as $5 billion by asking New Yorker’s highest income earners to pay a little more in taxes. The Governor's proposal calls on every school child to sacrifice in order to help state government; how about asking the Wall Street bankers who created this fiscal crisis to do their part in order to help protect school children?”
To read release in full click here.
To view data by school district click here.
(November 12, 2008) AQE Joins One New York to Protest Governor Paterson's Cuts
"New York State has a constitutional obligation to provide the funding needed to educate every child. After years of court orders in the CFE case, the Governor & both houses of the legislature made a promise in law to provide the dollars our school children need. The idea that the Governor would break this promise and cut education funding in order to keep his promise to New York's highest income earners not to raise their taxes is not only unfair, it is unreasonable." Billy Easton, executive director, Alliance for Quality Education.
To read release in full click here.
(October 28, 2008) AQE Responds to News of $12 Billion Projected Deficit
“Governor Paterson’s apparent resistance to even considering asking the wealthiest New Yorkers to be part of the solution to our state’s problems is completely unrealistic and does not provide any the added resources we need to stimulate a turn around in our economy. The chair of Governor Paterson’s own council of economic advisors, Joseph Stiglitz, has as recently as March advised that New York look to raise revenue as part of a balanced approach of shared sacrifice rather than close its budget gap through cuts alone,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education.
To read release in full click here.
(October 10, 2008) AQE joins "ONE NEW YORK- FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS" Campaign
Just two days after city agencies submitted plans for across-the-board budget cuts that will impact legal services, child welfare, the homeless, schools, people with AIDS, the elderly, and youth, a broad based coalition of almost 75 citywide social service providers, community organizations, unions and advocacy groups kicked off a campaign to urge Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to protect poor and middle class New Yorkers from budget cuts to vital services and to close the gap, in part through progressive revenue enhancements.
Click HERE to read release in full.
(August 19, 2008) AQE & WFP Respond to Assembly's Passage of Circuit Breaker Bill
“The State Assembly has taken seriously the charge of providing New Yorkers with real property tax relief by adopting a circuit breaker tax cap and reduction plan. While the State Senate Majority is chasing the sound bites and gimmickry of a so called tax cap that reduces nobody’s taxes and threatens the quality of our schools, the Assembly Majority has adopted the only plan in Albany that actually caps and reduces the property taxes of individual homeowners. The Assembly has clearly drawn a line at the doorstep of our schools and said that we must provide real property tax relief to homeowners, but that we cannot sacrifice the education of our children. The State Assembly’s circuit breaker tax cap and reduction plan is tied to the actual funding needed to reduce property taxes by enacting a small increase in the income taxes paid by millionaires and multi-millionaires and it protects the quality of education, " Billy Easton, AQE Executive Director. Click HERE to see release .
(August 12, 2008) AQE & WFP Launch Major TV Ad Campaign Against Paterson Property Tax Cap
“Governor Paterson’s tax caps will hurt school kids all around
(July 28, 2008) Parents Protest at New York State Board of Regent's Meeting
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(May 19, 2008) Parents Demand Swift Intervention of the State Education Department
(Albany, NY)--Parents and education advocacy groups from across the state delivered a protest letter to the NYS Board of Regents today calling on them to take a tough stand with local school districts regarding Contracts for Excellence, the state’s new accountability system tied to funding increases for low performing school districts. The letter highlights specific problems parents have found with how local districts, including Buffalo and New York City, are designing their 2008-09 Contract. The Regents were presented with light bulbs to illustrate the need for greater openness and transparency in the Contract for Excellence process. Last year only 11% of districts complied with the Regents' requirement for public participation. The parent and education organizations demanded that the Regents take immediate action to ensure that each district complies with state law and regulations.
"The Contract for Excellence process is required by law to include the public. The Education Department and the Board of Regents must adopt and enforce strong regulations to include public participation and full transparency. Every district must comply with the governing regulations. There can be no exceptions. The Regents must see to it that each and every district is in full compliance with the law. Another year of the State Education Department tolerating non-compliance by school districts is unacceptable," said Nikki Jones, Communications Coordinator, Alliance for Quality Education.
Click HERE to read release in full.
(May 1, 2008) Keep the Promises Coalition Response to NYC Education Budget
Last year the mayor and the City Council matched the historic commitment that the state made to reverse the chronic, multi-generational under-funding of the
The governor and state legislature — despite facing daunting budget deficits actually increased their commitment to kids when the state appropriated $600 million in new funds for NYC public schools. Compare that to the city’s reduction of promised funds in the wake of the substantial multi-billion dollar surplus.
In response, a coalition of parents, educators, and elected officials from across the city gathered this afternoon in opposition to the $450 million in cuts to education funding that would reduce or eliminate services and programs in many
(April 9, 2008) AQE Reaction to 2008 Enacted State Budget
Record School Aid Increase; Equity and Accountability Maintained; Assembly and Governor Provide Leadership
Senate Majority Makes Taxpayers Add Over $100 Million in Politically-Driven "Shares" Funding
“The record school aid increase is remarkable, but more important is that two thirds of the new funds are distributed fairly and equitably based upon student need thus maintaining the promise that was enacted into law last year,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education. “Make no doubt about it, the State Assembly dug in their heels to deliver fairness and equity in education funding throughout the state and Governor Paterson stood with them. Meanwhile the state Senate Majority used all their chits to drive a boatload of money to politically well-healed downstate suburban districts. Sadly many upstate Senators barely lifted a finger to add additional foundation aid for their own districts.” To read the release in full click HERE.
(April 4, 2008) AQE & CFE submit Comment on Proposed Final Proposed Contract for Excellence Regulations. Click HERE to read. 
(March 19, 2008) Thousands Rally At City Hall to Protest $800 Million in Budget Cuts Threatening New York City Public Schools
(New York, NY)— Thousands of concerned parents, educators, students, elected officials and other supporters of public education descended on City Hall today for a spirited rally to protest $800 million in current and proposed city and state education budget cuts and reductions targeting New York City public schools.
Demonstrators gathered outside City Hall Park on Broadway to listen as members of the broad-based Keep The Promises Coalition warned about the crisis facing city schools if the cuts are allowed to stand. The coalition is a diverse group of parents, educators, education advocacy groups, community organizations, civic groups, clergy, labor unions and elected officials that formed in reaction to the immediate and proposed cuts. Click HERE to read the release in full.
(March 17, 2008) AQE and CFE Express strong objections to proposed final regulations excluding advocacy organizations from participating in district Contract For Excellence development.
Click HERE to read the letter sent to Commissioner Mills requesting a revision of the proposed regulations
(February 14, 2008) AQE releases report detailing how cuts in promised aid disproportionately hurt poor students, students of color and English language learners.
"Will Education Promises be Broken?" Click HERE to read report
(Albany, NY)— Joined by parents, children and education advocates the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) released a report today entitled, “Will Education Funding Promises be Broken?” The report exposes disproportionately high cuts in promised foundation aid funding for school districts with high enrollment rates of poor children, students of color and English language learners. Advocates called on state legislators to restore the $350 million in cuts in promised foundation aid (basic classroom operating aid) in the proposed state budget this year. Following the press conference parents and children delivered Valentine's cards stating, "Don't break our hearts – Keep the promise," to every member of the state legislature. The press conference was part of six simultaneous press events across the state. Click HERE to read the release in full.
(January 22, 2008) Alliance for Quality Education and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity Respond to the 2008 Executive Budget
Statement of Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education:
“New York State made a commitment in 2007 to finally meet its obligations to our school children and raise the bar on educational quality for every child. All branches of government committed to add $1.24 billion in additional foundation aid this year and to firmly protect our school children against year-to-year economic fluctuations. The budget proposed today, is the first step, in a multi-step process, towards getting a final budget by April 1st. The focus now shifts to the legislature to add the funds needed to fulfill the commitment to increase foundation aid by $1.24 billion this year. Today’s budget proposal provides $350 million less in foundation aid than committed. It does propose some grant funds that could serve as stop gap measures to help close the gap so long as those funds are covered by the accountability of the Contract for Excellence. Between now and April 1st all branches of government have the ability to come together and guarantee that nothing is allowed to stand in the way of fulfilling our long-delayed commitments to our school children.” Click HERE to read in full.
(January 9, 2008) Alliance for Quality Education Respond to the 2008 State of the State
Statement of Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education:
"Multi-year education reform was the signature accomplishment of year one for Governor Spitzer; his assertion today that investment plus accountability equals excellence is the right equation. We need both the accountability to ensure results for our students and the investment to make accountability meaningful. Last year the Governor and the legislature determined that in 2008 our school children will need a $1.24 billion increase in foundation aid in order for his school accountability initiative to succeed. Under the Contract for Excellence, $1.24 billion in new foundation aid is the increase needed this year to fulfill New York State’s part of the bargain. Foundation aid is the basic classroom operating aid that makes school reform possible." Click HERE to read the response in full.
(Thursday, December 20, 2007) AQE Releases Report Grading State Education Department)
REPORT: Contracts for Excellence Year One: Grading the State Education Department
In four press conferences across the state, the Alliance for Quality Education released a report entitled Contracts for Excellence Year One: Grading the State Education Department, which evaluates the State Education Department's oversight of the 2007 Contracts for Excellence. The Contract for Excellence is the new accountability system designed by Governor Spitzer that ties record increases in education aid to the best educational practices.
While the report makes several recommendations for improvements to the Contracts based on the findings, AQE, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and others, note that the funding for the Contracts is scheduled to more than double next year as part of the $1.24 billion foundation aid increase expected to be in the Governor's budget. The 2008 funding is the second installment of the state's four-year commitment to increase classroom-operating aid (called foundation aid) by $5.5 billion. Press Release
(Thursday, December 13, 2007) AQE & CFE Release 2008 School Aid Runs Based on 2007 School Aid Reform
The Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) submitted statewide district-by-district projected school aid runs for foundation aid while presenting testimony prioritizing education needs at a budget hearing held today by the State Division of Budget. The figures, calculated by the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI), are based on 2007 New York State school aid reform legislation which include a four year foundation aid phase-in totaling $5.5 billion by the year 2010. Calculations for each of New York’s 597 school districts were included in the submission.
This is the first time in the history of New York State education that foundation aid levels to be included in the Governor’s budget can be predicted. School districts will now be able to accurately begin planning for next year in anticipation of state funding increases before the budget is passed, due to the four year education plan championed by Governor Spitzer and enacted into law earlier this year which includes payment percentage specifics. Click HERE to read the release in full
(Monday, November 19, 2007) AQE &CFE Respond to Approval of Contracts for Excellence
"Today education reform moves out of Albany and into our classrooms as the State Education Department signs the Contracts for Excellence tying new classroom funding to best educational practices, accountability and educational outcomes. Governor Spitzer is the architect of this reform, he promised to change Albany and in less than one year he has transformed our system of funding education in a dramatic and sensible fashion. New York voters can applaud the dramatic reform of Albany’s arcane school aid formula as school funding flows today based on student need, not political greed. Today after fourteen years of dysfunction and broken promises, our school children can celebrate the approval of classroom reforms to raise educational outcomes. Thanks to the Contracts for Excellence, taxpayers will be able to see what we are getting for our increased investment. Now we must closely monitor the State Education Department and local school districts to ensure every child receives a quality education." Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education
Click HERE to read the response in full
(Tuesday October 16, 2007, Mineola, NY)—AQE Releases report: “Property Taxes On Long Island: Zeroing In On The Problems And Solutions” Click HERE to see the report. Click HERE to see the press release.
While the issues of funding quality schools and property tax reform on Long Island remain top priorities of elected leaders and taxpayers alike, common misconceptions, and flawed evaluations have led to reform proposals that fail to address the real property tax crisis on Long Island and across the state according to a new report released today by a coalition education and tax reform groups
“Property Taxes On Long Island: Zeroing In On The Problems And Solutions” exposes the common misconceptions that have driven the property tax debate in the past and explores Long Island’s property tax issues in depth.
The report concludes by examining and comparing a wide range of reform ideas introduced on Long Island and within the State Legislature as well as looking at these proposals' advantages and disadvantages, who benefits, and how these reforms impact efforts to provide a quality school on Long Island and throughout the state.
Along with an in depth examination of the impact of property taxes on Long Island, the report offers five main conclusions.
(September, 2007) Sounding Off for Quality Schools!
As children across the state return to the classrooms this month parents are celebrating the recent historic 2007 education reform victories, including the Contracts for Excellence, created by Governor Spitzer.
The Contracts are the accountability tools that will hold school districts accountable to ensure that our children receive an excellent education. The success of these contracts will impact well over a million children.
While each of the 56 school districts required by law to submit a Contract for Excellence did so on time, only a handful solicited the community for public input also required by law.
Parent participation is a key element in the process of educating our children to a standard of excellence. We must demand that our voices are heard!
(June 25, 2007) AQE & Parents call on Regents to ensure School Funding Accountability
More than three dozen parents from across the state joined the Alliance for Quality Education, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, the NY Immigration Coalition and the Coalition for Educational Justice at a news conference in Albany prior to the monthly meeting of the New York State Board of Regents. They called upon the Board of Regents to ensure that the historic new level of state school aid makes it into the classrooms where it is needed the most and results in increased academic performance.
The parents demanded that the Board of Regents enact tough regulations for the Contracts for Excellence that ensure: that the programs created with new state aid predominately benefit the neediest students; require the Contracts to be clear, simple and easily understandable; and show how and where the money will be invested and the anticipated outcomes; and provide for clear guidelines for meaningful public participation in the development of the Contracts by school districts. Click HERE to read the press release.
(April 17, 2007) AQE and CFE submit comments to the State Education Department
At the request of the New York State Education Department, AQE and CFE jointly submitted comments on the Contracts for Excellence regulations draft. These comments outlined the key principles necessary to achieve positive results: 1) funds must be spent on children with the greatest educational needs; 2) the process must be transparent and open to the public; 3) a detailed evaluation must be taken to assess the effectivness of each district's chosen programs.
In the coming months the Board of Regents will adopt permanent regulations that will have a tremendous impact on the future of public school children statewide. Click HERE to send a letter to each of the 15 Regents reiterating the impact that their decisions will have on the process of making the vision of quality public education a reality for every child!
(April 1, 2007) Statement on The Enacted 2007 Education Budget
This budget represents a substantial breakthrough in a fourteen year struggle to deliver a quality education to every child. "CFE battled in the courts and the communities to achieve three central goals: a multi-year, massive infusion of school funding, the creation of a clear cut system of accountability to drive funds to key educational strategies, and a fair and simple foundation formula to distribute school aid based on student need not politics," said Geri Palast CFE Executive Director. "With Governor Spitzer's leadership, we have turned litigation into law. The foundation formula is central to ensuring that this achievement is enduring."
Based upon Governor Spitzer’s proposal New York State is making a record statewide increase in school funding this year. Parents have gained the strong system of accountability proposed by Governor Spitzer that will drive funding to key educational strategies including smaller classes, full day pre-kindergarten, teacher quality, after school program and other reforms. Children in New York City, where class sizes are dramatically larger than state averages, will benefit from a critically important requirement to reduce class sizes.
The fair school aid formula proposed by Governor Spitzer has been adopted largely in tact. The Governor’s formula is the essential tool we have always lacked in order to fairly and fully fund our schools. In this budget we partially use that tool, next year we must fully use the tool. The formula adopted this year makes an historic commitment to a fivefold growth in classroom operating aid by 2010-11 with the lion’s share of this money going to high needs schools.
“This year, by adding his voice to the struggle for quality education, Eliot Spitzer forged a fair funding formula against fierce opposition,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education. “Now the Governor and our communities must continue hand-in-hand to secure an enduring legacy of educational excellence by ensuring this formula becomes the centerpiece for how we distribute every dollar of classroom funding.”
(March 23, 2007)-AQE & CFE ISSUE NEW REPORT DOCUMENTING THAT SENATE MAJORITY PLAN WOULD UNDERMINE GOVERNOR SPITZER’S
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AGENDA
SENATE MAJORITY FOUNDATION AID DISTRIBUTION PLAN SHIFTS FUTURE SCHOOL AID FROM POOR DISTRICTS TO WEALTHY DISTRICTS IN EVERY REGION OF THE STATE
(Albany, NY) The Governor, the Assembly and the Senate have all agreed that the 2007 budget will provide a major infusion of new school aid. The dispute stalemating the entire state budget process is over who should gain the greatest benefit as a result of the new school aid formula that will be established in this year’s budget. The formula established this year will determine the ongoing distribution of school aid that will divide the school aid pie for the next generation of school children. In proposing fundamental school aid reform the Governor’s objective was to deliver educational excellence to every student. The Senate has made clear that their primary objective is to maintain the Long Island “shares” agreement. This objective is motivated by politics rather than educational goals, and, as a result, it distorts the Governor’s proposal rather than improving upon it.
The report identifies who loses and who gains under the changes the Senate Majority made to the Governor’s proposed formula. It finds that the Senate would reengineer the Governor’s proposed school aid formula distribution and take future school aid increases from poor districts in order to provide additional aid to wealthy districts. All five major cities in the state, 75% of needy small cities and suburbs and a majority of needy rural districts and average need districts would lose ground under the Senate Majority formula in order to provide additional school aid to 82% of the state’s wealthy districts. - more-
Click HERE to view Report (March 1, 2007)EDUCATION ADVOCATES LAUNCH CAMPAIGN CALLING ON MEMBERS OF SENATE MAJORITY TO SUPPORT GOVERNOR’S EDUCATION BUDGET
(Albany, NY)—Education advocates called on nine members of the State Senate majority whose districts would receive significant education funding increases to provide the leadership needed to enact Governor Spitzer's education budget. The Alliance for Quality Education and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity released a new analysis by the Fiscal Policy Institute detailing how each Senate district benefits under the Governor’s education reform plan.
At the news conference, AQE and CFE unveiled an oversized check for each of the key senators to sign. Each check was written from New York State to the children of the senator’s district. The only thing missing on the checks were the senators’ signatures. If adopted, Governor Spitzer’s budget would provide dramatic school aid increases over the next four years to the schools in each of the senator’s district. These include upstate and Long Island Senators Joseph Robach (R-Greece--$193 million); John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse--$157 million); Hugh Farley (R-Niskayuna--$137 million) Caesar Trunzo (R-Hauppauge--$157 million); Owen Johnson (R-Babylon--$147 million). New York City Senators Serphin Maltese(R-Queens), Frank Padavan(R-Queens), Martin Golden(R-Brooklyn) and Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) have the opportunity to bring $3.2 billion to the schools of New York City.
“The State Senate majority has always drawn a line in the sand in opposition to any foundation formula reform driven by need," said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education. “This is a new day in Albany. We are working with constituents in these districts to make their voices heard, and we are calling on these senators to put the needs of the children in their district ahead of yesterday's partisan battles. School children need their senators to provide the leadership to enact this budget, and bring these signed checks home to their schools."
“We are at an historic turning point—we can fulfill the promise of CFE and ensure that every public school child in New York State has access to a sound basic education by assuring an adequate investment through a fair foundation formula based on need,” said Geri Palast, Executive Director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. “Every district benefits through this infusion of funds. These senators represent school districts where the needs are great, and the Governor’s proposal makes sure those demands are met now and in the future. They can make the difference.”
“Governor Spitzer has proposed an historic $7 billion new investment in public schools across New York State over the next four years along with groundbreaking new accountability standards and a new need-based school aid formula. The State Assembly has consistently supported similar reforms in each of the last three years,” said Easton.
Over the next month, the grassroots effort to secure the support of these senators for the full education funding, accountability and formula reform provisions included in Governor Spitzer’s education budget will include town hall meetings, rallies, bus tours, and more in each of these senate districts.
Some of the events being planned include a March 8th town hall meeting in Queens, a March 17th car caravan in Schenectady and Amsterdam, a New York City wide bus tour on March 17th, a March 20th rally on Long Island and a March 22nd town hall meeting in Rochester. The complete list of events can be found at www.aqeny.org.
Thursday’s news conference came on day 60 of the “100 Days to Educational Excellence Campaign”, a statewide campaign to secure increased educational aid to needy districts across New York State along with a revised school aid formula and stronger accountability standards.
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(February 5, 2007)
EDUCATION GROUPS JOIN GOVERNOR AT NEWS CONFERENCE TO ENDORSE KEY PROVISIONS OF EDUCATION BUDGET
Governor Spitzer and parents call on state legislature to deliver educational excellence for New York State’s school children
The Alliance for Quality Education and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity announced their strong endorsement of the historic four year funding levels, accountability, and formula reform provisions included in Governor Spitzer’s 2007 education budget at a news conference today with the Governor at the Capitol and called upon the legislature to adopt these measures.
“Governor Spitzer has proposed an historic $7 billion budget increase in state education aid over four years tied to a fair, transparent formula based on need not politics, investment in strategies that work and accountability for results. Speaker Silver has led the Assembly in supporting full education funding and formula reform. Senate Majority Leader Bruno has called for new investment with accountability, but has expressed reservations regarding formula reform. We urge legislators in both houses to take a fresh look at the Governor’s proposal, join forces and enact these reforms that express the spirit of the CFE litigation in taking the politics out of school finance and putting excellence in education first," stated CFE Executive Director Geri D. Palast
"The school my children are currently in starts to prepare them for college in pre-kindergarten," said Tanika Jones, a parent of with children in pre-kindergarten and fifth grade in Syracuse public schools. "They are encouraged to read and introduced to computers in pre-kindergarten. The school has the resources to provide enrichment programs like after school foreign language and photography field trips. This school creates a community of caring so children value coming to school and learning. My daughter's old school did not have the resources to provide the kids with a good foundation to prepare them for college or even the next level of school."
“The Governor’s budget represents a commitment to full and fair funding for the schools of each and every child,” said Billy Easton of the Alliance for Quality Education. “The balloons we are delivering to every legislator today represent the hope that New York State will finally accept its responsibility to provide an excellent education for every child. We are encouraged that Speaker Silver has consistently supported this type of reform. However, in the past Majority Leader Bruno has opposed this type of reform even though it greatly benefits hundreds of thousands of students represented by the Senate Majority."
At a news conference at the Capitol today with the Governor, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and the Alliance for Quality Education shifted the focus to the legislature. 212 green balloons reading, “Day One Begins With Me,” in hand, one for each member of the state legislature, the parents and advocates called on the legislature to adopt the four year funding levels, formula reform provisions, and accountability included in Governor Spitzer’s education budget.
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"In fifth grade my son Jamahl was in a classroom with thirty-one children. So much time was spent on classroom management, rather than education, that my son got lost," said Victoria Bousquet, a parent of a fifth grader and a seventh grader from Brooklyn. "The next year I was fortunate to get my son into a middle school where he has twenty-three kids in his class, rather than having him stuck in another middle school in our community which has thirty-three kids per class. If my son had been stuck in another overcrowded classroom, he would have become a statistic. My biggest concern is for those kids who end up stuck in those larger classes."
The new budget proposal includes a $3.2 billion increased investment in New York City schools and a $3.8 billion increase for schools in suburban and upstate New York. New York City will also invest an additional $2.2 billion in the New York City school system bringing the total new investment in education to $9.2 billion statewide including $5.4 billion for New York City.
This means that districts like Buffalo ($48.6 million), Rochester ($35.9 million) Syracuse ($20 million), Schenectady ($12.4 million), Kingston ($3.6 million) and Brentwood ($21 million) will all receive large increases in the first year and over four times as much in the fourth year. Governor Spitzer’s budget proposal will not take away money from any school district and every district would in fact receive an increase in foundation aid.
AQE and CFE are strongly endorsing several key aspects of Governor Spitzer’s Executive Budget including:
• New Funding: Governor Spitzer is proposing a one-year public education increase of $1.4 billion statewide as part of a four-year package that phases up to a $7 billion increase in annual education funding. This represents the type of historic increase in education funding that the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit sought to secure and that parents, students and communities around the state have organized to demand.
• Foundation Formula: AQE & CFE have always supported a foundation formula because such a formula is fair, simple and transparent. The Governor's proposed formula targets funding based upon student needs, not politics. In addition to the foundation formula for K to 12 education, Governor Spitzer is proposing an additional foundation formula that will make four year old pre-kindergarteners understand.
