NEW YORK, N.Y. (February 17, 2022) — In response to Mayor Eric Adams’ preliminary budget proposal released Wednesday, the public education advocacy organization Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“Mayor Adams went out of his way to target the New York City education system with budget cuts that are both unjustified and unacceptable, and if enacted will cause irreparable harm to the city’s students,” said Jasmine Gripper, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education.
“Now is the worst possible time to be cutting funding from our children’s education. We know that prior to COVID NYC schools were not receiving enough funding to provide students with the kinds of opportunities that would help them succeed. In fact just last year a 30 year battle was won at the state level for full funding of New York’s public schools, a victory that would not have been possible without the determination and perseverance of generations of New York City parents, families and students.
“For Mayor Adams to take that funding from the state and now choose to cut the city’s education budget is an insult to their efforts and potentially catastrophic for students. Furthermore the same needs of students that underpinned that fight — smaller class sizes, social and emotional supports, and enrichment opportunities such as arts, music, sports that are central to a quality education — have not gone anywhere. In fact, the past two years of COVID have taken an enormous toll on students and families, and their needs have ballooned, from academic to social and emotional support.
“Right now, New York City should be putting students and their futures at the forefront of its budget planning. Students need tools and resources to succeed and thrive. We should be investing in our children, not cutting funding.”