Hi John,

As New York’s State Legislators meet to decide the state’s spending priorities for the coming year, they grapple with much uncertainty about what lies ahead, but one thing is clear: getting pandemic relief and funding to our public schools must be a priority. We simply cannot afford to continue sidelining and ignoring New York’s students any longer.

There are glimmers of hope for a better future for students: momentum is building in the ranks of the New York State Legislature in support of raising taxes on the ultra wealthy. But some State Legislators still are fighting to put the profits of the ultra wealthy over the needs of the rest of us.

Two such influential legislators are Assemblyman Harry Bronson and Senator Todd Kaminsky, who are leaders of their regional delegations from Rochester and Long Island, respectively.

For the past year, students in every corner of New York State have struggled to engage in learning due to a lack of resources. Black, Brown, immigrant and low-income students, whose schools were underfunded prior to COVID-19 and whose communities were devastated by the virus, are the hardest hit — students who live in Rochester, low income districts in Long Island, and so many other cities and communities across New York.

For students in all of our communities to get what they need, it is going to take all of our elected representatives acting together to raise revenues on the ultra rich. Assemblyman Bronson and Senator Kaminsky’s actions against raising revenue will impact children from Buffalo to the Hudson Valley, Utica to New York City, the North Country to the Southern Tier.

Stand in solidarity with students of Rochester and Long Island. Email Assemblyman Bronson and Senator Kaminsky to tell them they must support taxing the ultra wealthy to close the budget gap and fund our public schools.

In solidarity,

Jasmine Gripper
Alliance for Quality Education