Hi John
Last week, the AQE team took a moment to rest after a complete transitioning to online engagement and relentless advocacy during the final stages of the New York State budget process. This week, we return energized and ready to plan our next steps — but first we want to give a quick recap on where we left off, post-budget.
Budget Recap
Watch AQE's official budget reaction video.
New York's enacted education budget raise the stakes of protecting students and their education to a higher prior than any other moment in our lifetimes. New York’s schools will see no increase in state aid in this year's budget, even as their costs and needs rise. With $0 investment in schools from the state, we know cuts to educators, school support staff and extra curricular activities are looming in the near future. Below is a full breakdown of the outcomes of the New York State enacted budget.
Click the image to see additional categories.
AQE joined over 200 parents, educators, students and community leaders on April 9 for a virtual budget debrief to learn more about the details of the enacted budget. You can watch the video recording of that debrief here.
The Challenges Ahead
Cuts to education in this budget cycle mean our most vulnerable students are at risk of falling even further behind. Already we see huge inconsistencies in the quality of remote learning and the access to necessary technology. Low income students, immigrant youth, and students of color will suffer learning loss much greater than the summer period that sets back so many each year.
And worse, with the impacts of the global pandemic and financial crisis still being realized, the Governor has threatened even more massive cuts to our public schools on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
It's going to take every one of us to protect our public schools from more cuts in the coming months. We cannot let up the pressure on our elected officials. The next time the legislature convenes, the first item on their agenda must be taxing the wealthy to invest in our schools and communities.
We have more work to do. Stay tuned for next steps.
In solidarity,
Jasmine Gripper
