Every year, New York’s governor delivers the State of the State address. This speech isn’t just a political tradition – it’s a roadmap for the state’s budget and the priorities that will shape the year ahead. The Governor lays out where she thinks New York should invest its resources, which directly impact all of our … Continue reading Governor Hochul Sets the Tone – Now It’s Our Turn to Make Our Needs Heard
Ensuring community accountability for new dollars
Winning the money was always only half the battle in the fight for education justice: for the $14 billion in new state and federal education funding to have the impact we want to see in schools, we must now fight to ensure that parent and community voices be part of the decision on how that … Continue reading Ensuring community accountability for new dollars
30 Year Equity Fight Won in New York State Budget
On April 6, the children of our state won a crucial victory as New York State made a historic commitment to fully fund Foundation Aid for our public schools. This is the fight that AQE was founded over twenty years ago to win — the fight for adequate and equitable resources for New York’s low … Continue reading 30 Year Equity Fight Won in New York State Budget
AQE’s Jasmine Gripper Recognized in City & State Education Power 100
We are proud to share that this week, AQE Executive Director Jasmine Gripper appeared in City & State New York’s 2021 Education Power 100, which named her #15 of the 100 most powerful education leaders in New York State — the top ranking nonprofit leader that the publication recognized this year.
Celebrating 20 Years of Advocacy
2020 marks AQE’s 20th birthday. In October, we held a (virtual) celebration of our accomplishments and perseverance in this unprecedented year: AQE parents led the fight online and in the streets, for police-free schools, fighting against funding cuts, and ensuring that our communities had a voice in the reopening of schools amidst a global pandemic.
Winning Police Free Schools in Rochester
In March, just before the New York State budget deadline, AQE made a pivotal decision early on to focus on transitioning our community organizing and advocacy to an entirely online platform. The state budget negotiations didn’t miss a beat, so we couldn’t either.
Adapting to Online Advocacy
The final weeks of March in New York are always AQE’s busiest, as the New York State budget deadline approaches and our advocacy for public schools kicks into high gear. This year was no different — until suddenly and unexpectedly, it was.
Fighting for equity in the New York State budget
Through the formation of parent-led Education Committees, parents and community members are engaging in local work to raise awareness of the impact of the state’s underfunding on school districts. In Buffalo, Utica, Rochester, Hudson Valley parents are getting together to build power to transform the schools in their communities and statewide.