ALBANY, N.Y. Dec. 10, 2018 — New York State United Teachers today praised the Regents’ 2019-20 state aid proposal, saying the Board’s $2.1 billion “ask” of the Legislature and governor reflects the scope of the new state investment needed to help New York’s public education system continue to move forward.
“We welcome the Regents’ strong, ongoing support for a significant new investment in public education — one that would enable our school districts from Long Island to Buffalo to better meet students’ growing needs,” said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta.
NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango noted the Regents’ state aid request is in sync with one released late last week by the Educational Conference Board. ECB, a coalition of statewide education organizations, called for a $2.2 billion increase, including $1.3 billion to Foundation Aid; $400 million for expense-based reimbursements such as transportation and special education; and $500 million to enable districts to build upon existing programs.
“We commend Chancellor Betty Rosa, the Board of Regents and Commissioner Elia for standing with the state education community in strongly supporting additional resources for students, especially those students — and those communities — that need help the most,” DiBrango said.
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.