COMMUNITY FORUMS DRAW LARGE CROWDS IN AUBURN AND NORTH SYRACUSE
Well over 1,000 supporters of public education -- parents, teachers, students, school board members, administrators, grandparents, community members -- gathered at (the former) Auburn West Middle School and North Syracuse Junior High School Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 to gain new information about the devastating toll of five years of GEA cuts and learn how to be effective advocates for their schools and children.
The regional advocacy events, "Our Schools Remain at Risk,'' drew representatives from the 16 school districts in the Cayuga-Onondaga and Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES and the 33 school districts in the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison and CiTi (Oswego County) BOCES.
“We're pleased that so many people braved the cold and carved out the time to come out to these events,'' said Charles Borgognoni, Executive Director of the Central New York School Boards Association. "Our districts came out in force, and that speaks volumes about the dedication of the 'Army of advocates' we are trying to build with these events and the importance of the issues. This trend of reductions in school aid cannot continue without threatening the quality and equality of education available to all students.’'
The events focused on the urgent need to end the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA), which the state instituted in 2010 to alleviate its budget gap. Since 2010, schools across the state have lost $9.53 billion in state aid disbursements, noted forum speaker Dr. Rick Timbs, Executive Director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium.
"That's $9 billion - with a B,'' Timbs said. “There's no longer a gap in the budget. There's a surplus. We need to eliminate the GEA NOW.’'
North Syracuse school board member Robert Crabtree, a passionate advocate for schools and students, discussed the devastating impact the GEA and other budget cuts are having in his district, including lost teaching positions and classes and programs for students.
"Does this look like a failing school?'' Crabtree asked the audience. "These are not failing schools... Our students are the future, they deserve a complete education.’'
Bonnie Russell, president of the New York State PTA, urged supporters to write letters, make phone calls and use social media to send messages to Gov. Cuomo and the New York Senate and Assembly using the hashtag #CNYschoolsinperil.
Charles Borgognoni, Executive Director of the Central New York School Boards Association, told audience members that personal contact with their state legislators was the most effective way to get their point across, with emails, snail mail and social media also having an impact. The state's funding system for schools is seriously broken and needs fixing, Borgognoni said. If enough people say something about it, he added, Albany will take notice.
Borgognoni used his smartphone to send a tweet to the New York Senate. It said:
@nysenate CNY schools and students critically need GEA abolished this year. Pass S.2743. #CNYschoolsinperil
Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse), who was in the audience at the North Syracuse forum, spoke up to say the tweet had been received.
RELATED MEDIA COVERAGE:
Some CNY educators branch out, oppose the governor's education reforms, WRVO Public Media, Feb. 11
Community discusses financial problems in CNY public schools, News Channel 9 (Syracuse), Feb. 5
Auburn public forum calls for educational advocacy to revamp state aid formula, Auburn Citizen, Feb. 4
Educational advocacy groups to hold forums on school funding, Eagle Newspapers, Jan. 27
Newsmakers: Is school aid being distributed fairly?, News Channel 9 (Syracuse), Jan. 23
