AQE’s campaigns have led to a $3.6 billion increase in state school aid over the past 3 years alone, including $300 million for community schools. Since 2007, AQE has played an instrumental role in $650 million in increases in state investment in pre-K. We were leaders in the fight that defeated the private school tax credit voucher plan, and we won new Codes of Conduct in Rochester and Buffalo which have resulted in a 35 percent reduction in suspensions and implementation of restorative justice programs.
Read more about our victories below:
In 2017, AQE defeated a plan by Governor Andrew Cuomo to repeal the Foundation Aid formula and revert to the previous system of political gamesmanship governing school funding. We also defeated a proposal for huge funding increases for charter schools, taking money from local school district budgets to fund privately run charter schools.
2016 represents a key victory with the inclusion of $175 million for community schools. This is essential for expanding opportunity in poor communities and communities of color.
2015 we defeated the education tax credit, which would have reimbursed millionaires and billionaires for their donations to privately run schools — mainly charter and parochial schools.
2014 we won an $500 million more in the education budget than was proposed by the Governor’s budget — an increase larger than the amount proposed in either one-house budget bill.
2013 won $926 million in school aid including $300 million added by the legislature to the Executive Budget proposal. This includes $363 million for New York City.
2012 saw $800 million in new school aid as a result of the millionaires tax campaign and $200 million shifted out of competitive grants and into school aid.
In 2011 AQE played major role in extension of modified millionaires tax that produces $2.5 billion in state revenues annually. We also won $200 million in school aid restorations.
2009 won changes to NYC school governance law that created public hearings and Educational Impact Statements on school closings and co-locations. These have stopped a few closings and co-locations and have provided a mechanism to organize around.
In 2009 AQE played major role in Fair Share Tax Reform campaign that won the millionaires tax that produced $5 billion in annual state revenues
Between November 2008 and September 2009, during the recession, AQE prevented over $2.1 billion in proposed school cuts statewide.
In 2008 the Keep the Promises Coalition resulted in $300 million in additional state school aid for New York City and restoration of $132 million in New York City funding restorations for Department of Education.
In 2007, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity victory resulted in state commitment to provide $5.5 billion in foundation aid increases and $7 billion in total increases over 4 years. For two years the state met its obligations, increasing classroom aid by $2.3 billion which resulted in effective reforms in classrooms around the state. But then in 2009, as a result of the fiscal crisis school aid was frozen. Over the following two years the state enacted over $2.7 billion in cuts, including over $2.1 billion in classroom cuts, in effect reversing CFE.