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Alliance for Quality Education

Legislative & Political Updates

http://www.aqeny.org/legislative-political-updates.php

(October 9th, 2006) - AQE Launches “21ST CENTURY EDUCATION EXPRESS.”  With parents, kids and supporters of quality education from around the state cheering and waving signs as they pulled into different cities across the state, the 21st Century Education Express Yellow School Bus Tour traveled the state today. 

Riders on the statewide yellow bus tour called for a statewide solution to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) lawsuit and for fully and equitably funded schools. Greeting the bus in cities across New York state were groups of local parents, kids, elected officials and supporters of public education

The 21st Century Education Express Yellow School Bus Tour made fifteen stops on Monday on its way to Albany. Between several buses, the 21st Century Education Express stopped in Long Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Yonkers and Kingston before arriving in Albany. An additional 21st Century Education Express yellow school bus stopped in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Schenectady before arriving in Albany.

At each stop on the bus tour, oversized images of kids who attend under funded schools were presented to the bus riders to be brought to Albany for a display outside of the court of appeals.  Above the photos read “I am CFE” and below the photos were real quotes from the kids about what they want to do when they grow up. 

The bus tour comes on the eve of the October 10th oral arguments at the New York State Court of Appeals in what is expected to be the final appeal in the historic Campaign for Fiscal Equity school-funding lawsuit.  The 21st Century Education Express and the October 10th hearing come just under a month before voters will elect a new governor for the first time since today’s high school seniors entered Kindergarten. These two events are widely expected to shape the future of education across New York State for generations to come. 

Since the CFE lawsuit was filed 13 years ago, courts in New York State have consistently ruled that the state has failed to provide all New York state schoolchildren a quality education as mandated by the state constitution.  Although the CFE court case was filed on behalf of New York City’s 1.1 million public schoolchildren, many rural, urban, and suburban districts across New York face similar funding inequities that deprive children of their constitutional rights.

Before the court hears the CFE case on October 10th, hundreds of public education supporters will hold a march and rally outside of the courthouse in Albany.

For a press release explaining other tactics of the Alliance for Quality Education, go to http://www.aqeny.org/cms_files/File/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Bad%20Apple%20Award%20News%20Release%20Statewide.pdf