Educators to King, Regents: 'Stop hurting our neediest students. Restore the SIG funding'
ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 6, 2012 - New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi and other educators who are working as partners to design rigorous teacher and principal evaluation systems will join forces Monday to oppose State Education Commissioner John B. King's decision to suspend School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding. They will specifically detail how SED's suspension of districts' SIG funding is hurting their most vulnerable students.
Labor and management representatives from many of the 10 districts receiving SIG funding will gather on the steps of the State Education Department Building, 89 Washington Ave., at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9. The group will detail how SED's action is hurting students and how the state bureaucracy is frustrating local efforts at school improvement.
Iannuzzi noted only a small portion of the requirements for SIG funding are developing teacher and principal evaluations. "The truth is: The majority of the federal money is to provide direct help to the state's neediest students. Small classes, extra tutoring,