Rally Unites Nearly One Thousand New Yorkers to Demand Immediate Compliance with CFE Case

In an incredible show of support for New York's schools, nearly one thousand parents, teachers, students, advocates, and public officials gathered in Manhattan on Wednesday to send Albany a clear and powerful message: make CFE a priority this year or face losing votes in the 2006 election.

The rally was organized by fifteen major education and civil rights organizations, including CFE, ACORN, the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE), the NAACP Metropolitan Council, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), and CPAC (the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council).

The event launched a major campaign for education that seeks to secure commitments from at least 10,000 citizens to vote only for candidates that promise to put New York's schools first. Participants signed pledge cards to be Education Voters and signed up to volunteer for campaign activities. [Please visit the AQE website to make your pledge.]

The long list of notable speakers who teamed up to rally the education community included UFT President Randi Weingarten; NYC Councilmember Robert Jackson, chair of the council's education committee; Senator Eric Schneiderman; Senator Diane Savino; Senator John Sabini, Assemblymember Cathy Nolan, chair of the assembly education committee; Assemblymember Karim Camara; and Assemblymember Adam Powell IV. Among the speakers were several parents and students who offered important first-hand accounts of the dire resource needs in their schools.

The speakers consistently voiced their frustrations with the State's failure to budget the increases mandated by the courts in the long-running CFE school-funding case. In March, an appellate court gave the governor and the legislature until April 1 to budget billions in additional operating aid and capital aid for New York City's schools. Lawmakers added the necessary dollars to cover school construction costs, but failed to budget the court-mandated operating dollars that schools need to run effectively.

Speakers unanimously agreed that without the billions in additional operating aid, New York's children will continue to be deprived of the qualified teachers, smaller class sizes, after-school and enrichment programs, libraries, labs, and up-to-date textbooks they need to receive a genuine opportunity for success in the classroom.

In April, CFE filed an appeal to the highest court that seeks to bring the case to a legal close with an enforceable court order. A strong order would require the State add at least $4.7 billion in operating aid and comprehensive accountability measures. The order is expected to be issued this fall.

CFE, along with its statewide allies, are working to ensure that a final political resolution follows the expected legal one, and that lawmakers deliver all New York's children the resources they need during the next legislative session.

June 9, 2006