A new report from Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy found a steep increase in poverty rates in New York City — a jump from 1.5 to 2 million residents between 2021 and 2022. The city’s poverty rate is now at 12 percent, which is double the national average. Read the full … Continue reading The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City (Winter 2024)

New York’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus is advocating for changes to the state’s tax policy, urging increased personal income taxes on the wealthiest residents to fund essential programs and counter proposed cuts by Governor Kathy Hochul. The caucus, focusing on addressing economic, housing, healthcare, and maternal health disparities affecting people of … Continue reading BPHA Caucus to demand higher tax hikes for the rich in state budget

State lawmakers are pressuring Mayor Eric Adams and schools Chancellor David Banks to adhere to a law mandating lower class sizes in New York public schools. Legislators, during a budget hearing, urged solutions for reducing class sizes over five years by 2028, emphasizing the importance of class size reductions linked to the Campaign for Fiscal … Continue reading Lawmakers press Banks to comply with class size law

New York State Senate Republicans have introduced a legislative package to counter Governor Hochul’s changes to the education budget, criticizing her proposed package as a disguised cut and highlighting concerns about eliminating the “Save Harmless” or “Hold Harmless” provision. The connections made by Senate Republicans between the Governor’s proposals to the education budget and the … Continue reading N.Y. state Senate GOP’s education legislative package aims to counteract Hochul’s funding proposals

As the state’s Education Department studies the 20-year-old system of mayoral control, public hearings have shown widespread dissatisfaction, with calls for revisions or overturning. Critics, as ourselves, argue that the system concentrates too much power in the mayor’s hands, diminishing local community voices, while defenders emphasize centralized decision-making for efficiency. Mayoral control is set to … Continue reading Educators railed against mayoral control at hearings. What comes next?

Lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties are expressing discontent with Governor Hochul’s proposed changes to school aid. Critics argue that the Governor’s adjustments to the Foundation Aid formula hide cuts on account of changes to the consideration of the consumer price index in its calculations and the removal of a stipulation, called save or … Continue reading Across the political spectrum, lawmakers are peeved about Hochul’s plan for education funding

Governor Hochul’s executive budget proposal features significant changes to the school funding formula. She proposes changes to the Foundation Aid formula, which would result in funding cuts for 44% of the state’s school districts. Notably, the elimination of the “hold harmless” policy and a shift in the way it takes inflation into account are included … Continue reading ‘Profoundly disappointed’: Hundreds of NY schools could get less state money in new budget