Push for Major Hike in Education Aid

Today I joined the Alliance for Quality Education at a press conference calling on Governor Cuomo to increase school aid by $1.9 billion when he releases the Fiscal Year 2014-15 Executive Budget next week. I also joined 82 State Senate and Assembly colleagues in sending the Governor a letter to the same effect. Despite education funding increases in New York’s past two budgets, the state is still lagging in funding public schools. We must fully and equitably fund the New York City education system and school districts throughout the state, as mandated by the Court of Appeals’ order in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. It is adults -- not children -- who have the responsibility to make certain we have a literate, educated, and functioning workforce and democracy in New York State.