Hundreds turn out for education-related ‘Call Out Cuomo’ tour (VIDEO)
PHILADELPHIA — Students in New York state are caught between a public education system that encourages an overreliance on testing and a move toward privatized charter schools that serve a smaller portion of the population, according to educators who toured the north country Saturday as part of the “Call Out Cuomo” bus tour.
Parents, teachers, students, administrators and politicians expressed their frustration with the education policies of Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, particularly his move to withhold state-aid estimates until the legislature agreed to reforms, including increasing time needed for teachers to receive tenure, raising a charter school cap to authorize 100 new schools, instituting a tax credit for those who donate money to public or private schools and making state test results the basis for 50 percent of teacher evaluations.
The tour’s stop at Indian River High School, the fourth and final visit, was well attended.
Lori L. Atkinson-Griffin said there were about 400 people in the school’s gymnasium.
“People care about their public schools and they care about their kids so when (Gov. Cuomo) pushed that button and said you need to do this or else, he brought all the stakeholders together,” Ms. Atkinson-Griffin said.
The bus also stopped in Plattsburgh and Massena, where an estimated 800 to 900 supporters attended the rally.
A life-size cardboard cutout of Mr. Cuomo, which traveled with the group and stood on stage for speeches from union representatives and teachers, frowned.
The demonstration was notable for its colorful signs and passionate speakers.
“How dare you not properly fund public education,” said Karen E. Magee, president of the New York State United Teachers union. “It’s the basis of democracy in this country. ... Democracy no longer exists in New York state and honestly that is just totally and completely unacceptable.”
“Get off your snowmobile and get into our classrooms,” a sign read, apparently referring to Gov. Cuomo’s recent trip to Lewis County to promote tourism.
As Ms. Magee finished her speech, chants of “Call out Cuomo” grew louder as feet began to stomp on the boards near the stage.
Outside the gym, Ms. Magee said the end goal of the tour, which is happening statewide, would be to secure a budget that makes “sound educational sense.” She also said comparing charter schools and public schools is not fair because public schools serve all students while charter schools are subject to different regulations.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said charter schools were originally intended to be “innovation labs” where new educational practices would be developed and then integrated into the public school curriculum. They were never intended to be in competition with the public school system, she said.
“This is a very direct message from the people of the north country to the governor: invest in and work with public school educators and parents,” Ms. Weingarten said.
In the meantime, as the public-vs-charter-school debate plays out, Stephen J. Todd, superintendent of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services, said the governor’s decision to withhold state-aid estimates from school districts has put administrators and school board officials in a very difficult position.
“Without those runs, districts are having to guess a whole lot more... they’re having to presume the worst — a zero percent increase in state aid — and they may be having to look for cuts,” Mr. Todd said.
Mr. Todd said the state Board of Regents has asked for a $2 billion increase in education funding for the 2015-16 school year. “That would be the right amount,” Mr. Todd said.
Gov. Cuomo has said that if his reforms are passed, there would be a $1.1 billion increase in state funding. If the proposals are not approved, it would mean just a $377 million increase. Referring to a 2015 report on the state’s “failing” schools, Gov. Cuomo said increasing aid to districts with failing schools had little effect. He is proposing a reform model that was implemented in Massachusetts where schools that fail for 3 years are taken over by a nonprofit, another school district, or a turnaround expert.
During a speech Tuesday in Manhattan, he blamed the “bureaucracy around education” Watertown Daily Times | Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York.:
