Address Educational Racism, Fund Equity in Schools
Governor Andrew Cuomo
Governor Cuomo stated this year that equity in schools is a priority, but his budget proposal — just $338 million in Foundation Aid — suggests otherwise. His proposal would barely provide enough funding to avoid schools cuts, much less begin to close the opportunity gap in education that disproportionately affects Black, Brown and poor students. The Governor is attempting to appear generous while perpetuating educational racism and economic inequality, at a time when nearly half of New York’s children are living in poverty.
The Governor claims that he has increased education funding, but the reality is that year after year he has only kept up with inflation, without providing the funding needed to achieve the equity that was promised after the Campaign for Fiscal Equity over a decade ago. A generation of Black, Brown and low-income students have already lost out on that unfilled promise of education justice on the Governor's watch.
Our students need Governor Cuomo to commit to equity, not with just words, but with action. Call on the Governor to ensure that the final state budget fully funds equity in 2018 with a full phase-in of the Foundation Aid formula.
Sponsored by
To:
Governor Andrew Cuomo
From:
[Your Name]
We urge you to address the educational racism and economic inequity in New York’s schools.
Your 2018 executive budget proposal, with just $338 million in Foundation Aid, suggests that you do not care about the education of Black, Brown, and low-income students. In fact, your proposed education budget would not provide enough to support the maintenance of our public schools, let alone improvements for schools that need additional funding desperately.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” New York’s students have been waiting over a decade for education justice. Show Black, Brown, and low-income students that their education matters to New York State, by prioritizing their needs and committing to fully funding the Foundation Aid formula in this year’s enacted budget.