New York Receives $700 Million In Race To The Top Funding
By Mike Connery on 08/25/2010 @ 12:24 PM
New York has placed second among 16 states in the federal Race To The Top funding competition, awarding the state with $700 million over four years to help build a statewide system for tracking student progress and implementing a new statewide curriculum.
The hard work of the Democratic Senate Majority is largely responsible for New York attaining these funds. After placing 15th among 16 finalists in the first round, The New York Senate Dems passed legislation that lifted the cap on charter schools to 460 from 200, links teacher evaluations to student performance, and brings more local school districts and unions on board.
Senator Suzi Oppenheimer who chairs the Senate Education Committee, sponsored the landmark reforms that paved the way for the victory."I was confident that if we all came together, we could transform our state’s educational policies to enrich the learning experience for all students, while bolstering our application for this extremely competitive grant program. Achieving consensus on the necessary reforms was not easy," Sen. Oppenheimer said.The announcement that New York State will receive funds means public school districts throughout the entire state will see increased funding. New York City's public schools are set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars, while schools upstate will receive much needed cash as well.
“This funding could not come at a better time considering the difficult decisions made to close a $9 billion budget gap. Add that to the $600 million from the federal government’s jobs bill and we are looking at significant restorations for our schools,” said Sen. Darrel Aubertine.
Mary Wilmot Challenges Alesi on School Control Issue
By Mike Connery on 07/13/2010 @ 02:28 PM
Earlier today, Mary Wilmot took a stand for the children of Rochester and challenged James Alesi over his hypocrisy on a hot local issue - mayoral control of the schools. Alesi has voted for mayoral control in other parts of the state when it suited him politically, but has flip-flopped on Rochester's school children, effectively locking them in to a dysfunctional school system that isn't working. Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle was on hand to report on her statement, the full text of which can be found below:
“Fewer than half of the students who entered these doors four years ago graduated this year. When New York City’s Mayor asked for Jim Alesi’s vote on Mayoral Control in New York City, Jim raised his hand and said yes. I don’t know how much Jim knows about New York City and its school system, but he should know about the need for reform in the Rochester City School District.
When Mayor Duffy asked Jim Alesi to support School Governance Reform in Rochester Jim told the Democrat & Chronicle that he had “grave concerns about destabilizing the system.” No explanation, no better idea, no nothing. Why not destabilize a system that demonstrates year after year it is already broken? I can’t imagine anyone would consider a district with a 46% graduation rate worth preserving. The students need the status quo to be to be shaken up, to be reformed and restructured so more kids who walk in our schools eventually walk out in a cap and gown.
We need accountability and we need reform in the City School District. Our students deserve that. Defending a 46% graduation rate by inaction and indifference does not serve the interests of the students. The State Assembly has already adopted School Governance Reform in Rochester; the bill will now be presented to our State Senate. I challenge Mr. Alesi to put aside special interests and to finally speak up for our children. Be a leader, Mr. Alesi, and do the right thing for the students of the Rochester City School District, stand up for Rochester’s kids and proudly vote yes for School Governance Reform in Rochester, like you already did in New York City.”
Dean Skelos: Taking Credit Where it is Not Due
By Mike Connery on 06/01/2010 @ 11:26 AM
News LI reports that Republican Minority Conference Leader Dean Skelos is trying to take credit for the charter school reform measures passed last week. The reform measures more than doubled the amount of charters schools allowed in New York, positioning the state for a better showing in the next round of Race to the Top grants, which could bring $700million in much needed aid to New York's schools.
There's only one small problem - Skelos and the Republicans had nothing to do with its passage. The measure was unanimously supported by Democrats, providing the necessary votes for passage. What's more, the reforms were opposed by half of Skelos's caucus, because of limits placed on the ability of for-profit corporations to exploit our children's education just to make a buck.
Not only was Dean Skelos not responsible for helping to pass this legislation, he couldn't even bring his own conference to the table to pass truly bipartisan reform on behalf of New York's schoolchildren.
Hypocritical Republicans Vote Against Schools and Families
By Mike Connery on 05/29/2010 @ 10:26 AM
Yesterday, Democrats passed a landmark charter reform bill, more than doubling the number of charter schools allowed in the state, and banning private companies from profiting off students. Unanimously supported by Democrats, the measure sets up New York to receive $700 million in crucially needed, federal Race to the Top funds.
The measure was opposed by half of the Republican conference - a bizarre turn of affairs that exposes the hypocrisy and lack of substance behind the GOP's position on the issue. Just one month ago, when New York failed to secure a grant in the first round of Race to the Top awards, the GOP claimed that more action was needed to raise the cap on charter schools, and only Republican support could ensure that a bill passed in the Senate. Dean Skelos even released a statement criticizing the Democrats for inaction on charter schools.
Yet when time came to stand behind their words and stand up for New York's future, it was Skelos's conference that tried to obstruct much needed aid to our schools. Half of all Republicans voted against the measure, proving themselves once again to be the party of "no," and reminding New Yorkers just what Republican rule in the Senate was all about - empty rhetoric and broken promises made at the expense of their constituents.
Here's the rogue's gallery of naysayers from yesterday's vote, and the list of Democratic challengers fighting to replace them in November and bring real change to Albany.
- Farley - Susan Savage
- Flanagan
- Golden - Mike DiSanto and Claudio DeMeo
- Griffo - Maria Pavelock and Mike Hennessy
- Owen Johnson
- Larkin - Harley Doles and Larry Delarose
- LaValle - Regina Calcaterra
- Libous
- Maziarz
- McDonald - Joanne Yepsen
- Nozzolio
- Padavan - Tony Avella
- Saland - Didi Barrett
- Young
