ALBANY, N.Y. Feb. 21, 2019 — The Educational Conference Board (ECB) will hold a briefing for legislators, legislative staff and media Friday, Feb. 22, to discuss the governor’s Executive Budget proposal and the needs of students, educators and public schools. The briefing will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in Room 711-A of the Legislative Office Building in Albany.
In December, the ECB released a report calling for a $2.2 billion increase in state education aid in 2019-20 to enable schools to continue current programs and services for students and respond to increasing student needs statewide.
On Friday, ECB leaders will detail their budget request and their analysis of the governor’s proposed budget. In addition, they will discuss their recommendations for improving school safety, including the creation of funding streams to strengthen school safety, the removal of barriers to schools hiring experienced security personnel and the implementation of “red flag” legislation.
Leaders will also outline recommendations that would aid schools in developing and implementing restorative practices. Recommendations include allowing school districts to maintain local control when making decisions about pupil discipline and school safety, providing support for districts to implement restorative practices, and creating technical assistance centers to disseminate best practices in restorative activities and techniques.
The New York State Educational Conference Board is comprised of the Conference of Big 5 School Districts; the New York State Council of School Superintendents; New York State PTA; New York State School Boards Association; New York State United Teachers; and the School Administrators Association of New York State.