State still owes city $2.5B for school funding
The UFT joined public school parents, advocates and elected officials on the steps of City Hall on Sept. 18 to put the state on notice: the $2.5 billion that it owes the city’s public schools from the 2007 settlement of a landmark school-funding lawsuit is past due.
“We can’t wait” is the rallying cry and the hash tag for a social media campaign spearheaded by the Alliance for Quality Education to remind state officials of what the billions of dollars could provide for public students across the state: everything from smaller class sizes and science labs to after-school programs and AP courses.
“As a parent and an educator, I’m here to tell you we have waited too long,” said Karen Alford, the UFT vice president for elementary schools, at the rally. “Our students deserve smaller classes, afterschool programs, arts and music programs, and community learning schools.”
Alliance for Quality Education is asking people to make a #WeCantWait sign and write why they can’t wait for New York State to fully fund public schools and then share that picture across social media with #WeCantWait and at @AQE_NY on Twitter.
http://www.uft.org/news/state-still-owes-city-25b-school-funding