This year’s New York State PTA Legislation Education
Convention (Leg. Ed.) once again met expectations with presenting a plethora of
information about a variety of current education topics ranging from the state
budget to grassroots advocacy efforts and from the impact of sequestration to
common core standards and the SAVE and DASA laws. The first step of any
advocacy effort is information. Leg. Ed. delivers it in spades.
One of the presentations was by Michael Rubell, the
Executive Director of the Campaign for Educational Equity. Previously he led
the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) which was involved in a lengthy lawsuit
about funding for education. The CFE lawsuit was settled in 2006 declaring that
New York’s Constitution requires the provision of a sound basic education to
all students. The courts defined a sound basic education as a high school
education as determined by the state regents. Michael’s presentation focused on fixing state
funding to provide a sound basic education. In light of our current state
fiscal situation, we need to figure out how educate our students more
effectively and efficiently. Rubell’s proposal has five action steps for
achieving constitutional compliance. These steps are:
1.
Identify the specific essential resources and
services
2.
Reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary
requirements and mandates
3.
Determine the cost of providing a sound basic
education
4.
Revise funding formulas to provide a sound basic
education
5.
Annually analyze the impact of budget changes.
It is up to us, the
people- parents, students, teachers and administrators and the community at large-
to work to get the legislature to achieve these steps and ensure that students
across the state receive a sound basic education.
Another presenter, Bob Lowry, from the New York State
Council of School Superintendents, presented information indicating that 51% of
school districts will be educationally insolvent within the next four years.
This means that the districts will be unable to provide the state mandated
programs. We cannot continue the way we are. More requirements and less funding
is a recipe for educational disaster. Efficiencies must be found, sensible and
adequate funding must be provided and educational quality must be protected.
Although not an easy package, it is essential if we are to move ahead.
We need our representatives to understand the imminent
problems and needs of our students and to help local districts provide for
them. As a PTA we need to advocate for these steps to help our schools. We can
write our representatives, governor and regents and to ask to them to support
our children by completing the steps above to ensure all students have
access to a sound basic education.
Summary of Bob Lowry’s report: http://www.warwickvalleyschools.com/District/boe/pdfs/1213/NYSCOSS_cant_get_there_from_here_highlights.pdf
Nice Post dear..........Crowdfunding
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