Equal access to quality public school education from Universal PreK through College or Trade School, is the foundational principle of a just, vibrant, creative, competitive and compassionate society. Quality, equal education fulfills our public responsibility to offer opportunity to every child to fulfill his/her potential in a society that needs all of the skills and talents of our citizens.  Providing  each child, regardless of his/her economic or social circumstances, with a rich curriculum that unlocks their potential,  provides opportunities for developing critical thinking through STEAM- based learning , enriched with extracurricular and experiential learning opportunities, is an obtainable goal, worthy of our district and of our great state.

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New York State has fallen far behind in achieving the goal of universal access to quality education, as our schools are now the second most unevenly funded in the nation. There is presently a gap of over $9,900.00 per student between our best and worst funded public schools in NYS. We can close this gap through new funding initiatives, not linked to property taxes. I will work in Albany to establish a fairer funding formula for public schools – one that will not disadvantage children and families who are from poorer or more urban communities within our district and around the state. I will support the full funding of Foundation Aid, which is a state program that achieved promising results - but had been defunded - aimed at equalizing education funding through a comprehensive assessment of districts’ particular needs for academics, enrichment programs, language and social and cultural support for students. Furthermore, I will support Safe and Supportive Schools Act to help us create a far more responsive school climate to reflect the specific needs of the communities served by each school district.

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High stakes testing has had a paralyzing effect on both teachers and most importantly, our students. Studies show that the APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) linking teacher evaluation to an endless series of high stakes test results, administered frequently to students beginning in the early grades of elementary school through high school, has done nothing to advance student learning and it has proven ineffective in evaluating teacher performance, which can hardly be standardized across a diverse student population, as we have in NYS. Nearly 25% of NY parents opted out of the testing for their students, citing the stresses on their children and the negative consequences to their future educational opportunities from test results gathered in their early learning years. Teachers were unfairly penalized for low test scores, particularly in schools where underperforming student populations were of poverty, or faced other challenges. I will support the elimination of the APPR and the establishment of teacher evaluation by administration at the school level. I will call for the elimination of onerous, high stakes testing, thus restoring the ability of teachers to create meaningful curriculum that supports critical thinking in a supportive and rigorous environment that is not timetabled to ineffective state tests.

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Our 21st Century economy requires that our young people continue their learning in post-secondary college or vocational training – whether 2- year community college, trade school, or 4-year college. I will support a vigorous initiative to assist students in high school to discern their next step and to encourage exploration of all possible avenues for their intellectual and professional development beyond high school.  I support the expansion of the Excelsior Scholarship, which is under serving so many worthy applicants. Presently, Excelsior recipients are required to be full time students holding and passing  a 30 credit course load each year; they must complete their degree work in four years; their scholarship is only good for tuition, paid out only after other grants, like the Pell Grant (which can cover attendant school costs, not only tuition), are applied. Reform is necessary because many qualified students need to work part or full time while attending school in order to pay for additional school costs, which are not covered by this tuition- only scholarship. Some Excelsior recipients take remedial course work, which is not factored as part of their 30 credit hour per year requirement. Many are caring for children while they work for their degrees, which makes a four year degree impossible to attain.  The 5-year college graduation rate at CUNY is under 35%. We should acknowledge the rigors and realities of attaining a college degree in four years for those who need financial help. We must design a more realistic  timetable for their success. I support expanding the Excelsior Scholarship to more fairly reflect the needs of poor and working students for whom the Scholarship is intended, and who need the continuing education for career and financial advancement, which is a win-win for them and for our society.

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We must lift the requirement that Excelsior recipients remain in New York State, post graduation and pursue jobs here only for the number of years that they received their scholarships. At present, if an Excelsior graduate moves out of state, even for compelling personal or important professional opportunities, without fulfilling the residency requirement, the Excelsior Scholarship must be reimbursed. This greatly disadvantages these graduates at the very moment they have achieved parity with other, more financially privileged college graduates. We must reform this rule to level the professional and personal playing fields for these graduates and remove further, crippling financial obligations as they make impactful personal and professional decisions on where to accept work and build their lives.

 

New York State has the resources of wealth and talent to make our education system the envy of our nation. Our mix of urban, rural, and suburban communities coupled with our diversity of population provide an opportunity to nurture a rich tapestry of intellectual, technological, cultural and artistic talent in our next generation. Providing equal educational opportunity for all will fulfill our promise to new generations, and guarantee that we build a just and strong economic and intellectual future for our communities and for our nation.