NY's budget must not jeapordize the wellbeing of some students

Hi Ashley, This week when Governor Hochul released her state budget proposal for the coming year, she said she wanted to invest in making the lives of families and children a little better. But a little bit better just isn't good enough. It does not meet the needs of New York families that have been piling up, and it does not meet the moment we're in now, with a federal administration that is bent on worsening inequity. Instead of taking a bold stance to protect New Yorkers from any potential threat from the new administration in DC, the Governor chose to do very little. Send an email to your State Legislators now telling them we need a transformational State budget that will protect the well being of all New York's families, students, and communities. We need to invest in measures in the state budget that will transform people's lives. By the Governor's own acknowledgement, New York's tax revenues and economy are by all metrics thriving, so there is no excuse not to make transformational changes people need. But the impact of the changes, and how they're enacted, matters tremendously. When it comes to school funding, the Governor's proposed changes to Foundation Aid are a mixed bag. New York City schools will see their expected Foundation Aid increase cut almost in half, a loss that is unacceptable and is sure to have an impact on students. But at the same time, many other high need school districts in other parts of the state would receive a higher-than-expected increase under the Governor's proposed formula update, a very welcome adjustment. Updating the formula to more accurately capture students' realities is important, but changes cannot be made in a vacuum. The bottom line is that we cannot allow the budget to jeopardize the well being of some students. Send an email to your State Legislators now urging them to ensure that the State budget includes updates to the Foundation Aid formula that capture the complex reality of each school district without negatively impacting any district. In solidarity, Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari & Marina Marcou-O'Malley Alliance for Quality Education Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Alliance for Quality Education, please click here.