[ProgressiveEd] Fwd: two very big pieces of news on the class size front!
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From: "Leonie Haimson" <[email protected]>
To: "Leonie Haimson" <[email protected]>
Subject: two very big pieces of news on the class size front!
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 11:28:42 -0400
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Yesterday, the Governor vetoed 119 separate parts of the Legislature's budge=
t, including $700 million for education, as well as all of the revenue measu=
res put forward to fund this. (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-s=
tbudg153284982may15,0,1807452.story?coll=3Dny-statenews-headlines) Today, t=
he Legislature is beginning to hold votes to override these vetos; they hope=
to have the full 2/3 votes needed to do so. If successful, it will be the f=
irst time in over 20 years that the NY Legislature has overriden a Governor'=
s budget veto.=20
At his press conference yesterday, Pataki suggested that even if they do man=
age to override, he may sue to block their budget as unconstitutional, or si=
mply refuse to spend the money appropriated. Meanwhile, a new Marist poll s=
hows his popularity at the lowest level ever. (http://www.newsday.com/news/=
local/wire/ny-bc-ny--pataki-poll0513may13,0,2388168.story?coll=3Dny-ap-regio=
nal-wire ; for the full poll results, see http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/n=
yspolls/030513GV.pdf)
Only 37% of voters approve of his performance, and a mere 4% say he's doing=20=
an excellent job; 56% wanted him to sign the budget approved by the state Le=
gislature. So why is he acting against the wishes and interests of most New=
Yorkers? The speculation, again, he is looking for approval from Washingto=
n DC rather than his own constituents. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/15/nyr=
egion/15PATA.html
If you haven't already, or even if you have, please call your state Legislat=
ors today and tell them you support their effort to raise taxes so that your=
child's education won't be hugely cut back next fall. You should also ask t=
hem to override the Governor's probable veto of the revenue package for NYC,=
which we will need in order to prevent more terrible cuts to our schools he=
re. Finally, you can call the Governor's office to let him know how much you=
disapprove of his actions and threats. I just called the Governor's office=
myself, and it felt surprisingly satisfying. =20
And it won't cost you a penny! Citizen's Action has a toll free line to the=
Governor and/or the Legislature, at 1-877-255-9417. (For information on ho=
w to identify your legislators, just go to http://www.classsizematters.org/w=
hatyoucando.html)
In other exciting news, a coalition of NYC parents, advocates, and teachers=20=
has begun to plan a new effort to to put class size limits for all grades in=
to the City Charter. Our plans are still in their initial stages, but Randi=
Weingarten announced the proposal at the UFT spring conference last weekend=
. http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--educationchalleng0510m=
ay10.story =20
Our first hurdle will be to get the signatures of at least 45,000 voters by=
July 5, to trigger the formation of a new Charter Revision Commission that=20=
would meet to consider this. If our plan is successful, a proposition to r=
educe class size in all grades would be put before the voters in the fall of=
2004, just in time for the Presidential elections. =20
This is the most exciting idea that has ever been proposed for those of us w=
ho believe that reducing class size is the most important and effective way=20=
to improve our schools. If we are successful, it will mean that we will no=20=
longer have to fight defense, year after year, so that class sizes don't inc=
rease, and our schools don't get even worse. It would also mean that our ch=
ildren would get something near the level of education provided by elite pri=
vate schools and public schools in the wealthier suburbs. But we will need=20=
all of your cooperation to pull this off, including volunteers to help us ga=
ther at least 45,000 signatures of registered NYC voters by July 5.
Please start right away by talking to other parents at your school about how=
you could set up tables to collect signatures. We will need every active a=
nd committed parent in the city, over the month of June, to help out.
Soon, I hope to have available copies of the petition that can be downloaded=
off my website, along with full instructions on how to collect legally veri=
fiable signatures.
Thanks so much -- and I'll let you know more news on all of these fronts as=20=
soon as it becomes available. And please forward this message to others who=
care!
Leonie Haimson
Class Size Matters
124 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
212-674-7320
[email protected]
www.classsizematters.org
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yesterday, the Governor vetoed 119 separate=
parts=20
of the Legislature's budget, including $700 million for education,=
as=20
well as all of the revenue measures put forward to=20
fund this. (<A href=3D"http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/=
ny-stbudg153284982may15,0,1807452.story?coll=3Dny-statenews-headlines">http:=
//www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stbudg153284982may15,0,1807452.story?c=
oll=3Dny-statenews-headlines)</A> =20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Today, the Legislature is beginning to ho=
ld votes=20
to override these vetos; they hope to have the full 2/3 votes needed to do=20
so. If successful, it will be the first time in over 20 years that the=20=
NY=20
Legislature has overriden a Governor's budget veto. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At his press conference yesterday, Pat=
aki=20
suggested that even if they do manage to override, he may sue to block their=
=20
budget as unconstitutional, or simply refuse to spend the money=20
appropriated. Meanwhile, a new Marist poll shows his popularity at the=
=20
lowest level ever. (<A href=3D"http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wir=
e/ny-bc-ny--pataki-poll0513may13,0,2388168.story?coll=3Dny-ap-regional-wire"=
>http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--pataki-poll0513may13,0,238=
8168.story?coll=3Dny-ap-regional-wire</A>=20
; for the full poll results, see <A href=3D"http://www.maristpoll.marist.e=
du/nyspolls/030513GV.pdf">http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/nyspolls/030513GV=
.pdf</A>)</FONT></DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><BR>Only 37% of voters approve of his performance, and a mere 4% s=
ay=20
he's doing an excellent job; 56% wanted him to sign the budget approved by t=
he=20
state Legislature. So why is he acting against the wishes and interest=
s of=20
most New Yorkers? The speculation, again, he is looking for approval f=
rom=20
Washington DC rather than his own constituents. <A href=3D"http://www.nyti=
mes.com/2003/05/15/nyregion/15PATA.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/15/n=
yregion/15PATA.html</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR><STRONG>If you haven't already, or even if you have, please call yo=
ur=20
state Legislators today and tell them you support their effort to raise=
=20
taxes so that your child's education won't be hugely cut back next=
=20
fall.</STRONG> You should also ask them to override the Governor's prob=
able=20
veto of the revenue package for NYC, which we will need in order to prevent=20=
more=20
terrible cuts to our schools here. Finally, you can call the Governor's=
=20
office to let him know how much you disapprove of his actions and=20
threats. I just called the Governor's office myself, and it felt=20
surprisingly satisfying. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And it won't cost you a penny! Citizen's Action has a toll free l=
ine=20
to the Governor and/or the Legislature, at 1-877-255-9417. (For=20
information on how to identify your legislators, just go to <A href=3D=
"http://www.classsizematters.org/whatyoucando.html"><FONT face=3DArial>htt=
p://www.classsizematters.org/whatyoucando.html</FONT></A>)</DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><STRONG><FONT size=3D4><FONT size=3D3>In other exciting news, a coa=
lition=20
of NYC parents, advocates, and teachers has begun to plan a new effort=20=
to=20
to put class size limits for all grades into the City=20
Charter</FONT>.</FONT></STRONG> </EM>Our plans are still in=20
their initial stages, but Randi Weingarten announced the proposal=20=
at=20
the UFT spring conference last weekend. <A href=3D"http://www.nynews=
day.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--educationchalleng0510may10.story">http://w=
ww.nynewsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--educationchalleng0510may10.story<=
/A> =20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Our first hurdle will be to get the signatures of at least=20
45,000 voters by July 5, to trigger the formation of a new Charter=20
Revision Commission that would meet to consider this. If our plan=
is=20
successful, a proposition to reduce class size in all grades would&nbs=
p;be=20
put before the voters in the fall of 2004, just in time for the Presidential=
=20
elections. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM>This is the most exciting idea that has ever been proposed=20=
for=20
those of us who believe that reducing class size is the most important and=20
effective way to improve our schools. </EM></STRONG> If we are successf=
ul,=20
it will mean that we will no longer have to fight defense, year after=20
year, so that class sizes don't increase, and our schools don't get eve=
n=20
worse. It would also mean that our children would get something n=
ear=20
the level of education provided by elite private schools and publi=
c=20
schools in the wealthier suburbs. <STRONG>But we will need all of=20
your cooperation to pull this off, including volunteers to help=20
us gather at least 45,000 signatures of registered NYC voters by J=
uly=20
5.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM>Please start right away by talking to other parents at your=
=20
school about how you could set up tables to collect=20
signatures</EM></STRONG>. We will need every active and committed pare=
nt=20
in the city, over the month of June, to help out.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Soon, I hope to have available copies of the petition that can be=20
downloaded off my website, along with full instructions on how to collect=20
legally verifiable signatures.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Thanks so much --</STRONG> and I'll let you know more news on a=
ll=20
of these fronts as soon as it becomes available<STRONG>. And please=20
forward this message to others who care!</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>Leonie Haimson<BR>Class Size Matters<BR>124 Waverly Pl.<BR>New York, NY=
=20
10011<BR>212-674-7320<BR><A href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]<=
/A><BR><A href=3D"http://www.classsizematters.org">www.classsizematters.or=
g</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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