Advocacy Groups and Local Officials Declare “Act
for Education Month”
In the lead-up to oral arguments in the appeal of Campaign
for Fiscal Equity v. State in the New York Court
of Appeals on October 10, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity
and the Alliance for Quality Education declared “Act
for Education Month.” This month-long series of
events seeks to remind the public that many of New York’s
schools are not up to constitutional standards, and
to encourage their advocacy and action to ensure that
lawmakers fund all schools at adequate levels.
Organizing Communities Across the State
“The disparity between the funding children receive
in wealthy districts versus poor districts like Albany
is an outrage,” said Albany Common Councilwoman
Cathy Fahey on September 7 at one of the news conferences
announcing Act
for Education Month held in major cities across
New York. “The responsibility for righting the
wrong by revamping the state aid formula falls squarely
on the shoulders of our state legislators and governor,”
she added.
The Alliance
for Quality Education (AQE) and the Campaign
for Fiscal Equity (CFE) garnered supporting resolutions
from mayors and city councils in Buffalo, Rochester,
Syracuse, Binghamton, and other cities across the state.
Planned events for the month include press conferences,
“mobilization for education workshops” that
provide information about effective advocacy skills
for parents, teachers, and community members, panel
discussions on public education funding, and community
events, such as a youth march in Rochester on October
2. For a full schedule of events, see the AQE
website.
Five Principles
The Alliance for Quality Education lists five principles
behind this month’s advocacy campaign:
• Ensuring every student access to a meaningful
high school education;
• Poviding a legislative resolution to the CFE
lawsuit in accordance with the New York Court of Appeals
ruling;
• Poviding additional resources for schools through
state aid instead of local property taxes;
• Developing a new, transparent school funding
formula that targets student needs;
• Accountability to ensure that increased investment
in schools improves learning.
Yellow School Bus Tour
Act for Education Month culminates on October 9 and
10 with the “21st Century Education Express Yellow
School Bus Tour.” School buses carrying parents
and supporters will leave Buffalo and New York City
on October 9, making stops in different cities on the
way to Albany. On October 10, the day of oral arguments
in the CFE v. State appeal, there will be a
march from the State Legislative Office Building to
the Court of Appeals, followed by a rally at the courthouse.
Prepared by Matthew Samberg, September 14, 2006
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