What this year’s final budget means for NY’s public schools and child care Last week, state leaders finalized one of the latest budgets in years, and soon thereafter, the legislative session ended. As we turn to the future, we want to take a moment to recognize what we helped move together and be clear about what Albany left unfinished, including the work we will need to keep pushing for in the months ahead. Families, educators, providers, and supporters across the state have worked tirelessly these past six months to demand the public investment our communities need. Thanks to that collective pressure, the budget included real wins for public schools in the form of school aid, Foundation Aid, pre-K, and a shorter extension of mayoral control. It also included important child care investments, including funding for New York City’s 3-K program and pilot programs in Broome, Monroe, and Dutchess counties. Take a look at our side-by-side graphic of what we fought for, what we moved, and what we are still fighting for. Please share this resource with your community too! There is still much more left to do. This year began with a bold promise that New York could start building a real path to universal child care, but the final budget fell far short of the child care system families were promised. It does not include the direct workforce compensation child care educators need, and too many families are still waiting for child care assistance. Community Schools funding was also left out, and New York again failed to raise the broader progressive revenue needed to fund the schools, care, and public systems our communities rely on. Strong public schools and universal child care both depend on sustained public investment, and that investment depends on truly progressive revenue that asks more from those with the most. As schools let out and summer begins, many families are navigating new schedules and child care hours that may not line up in the most ideal ways with work or daily life. We hope you and your loved ones are able to find real rest, joy, and recuperation where you can in the weeks ahead. We will need each other ready for the work still waiting to be done. In solidarity, Marina and Zakiyah Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education AQENY.org   Facebook   Instagram    Bluesky Donate

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