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Union presses for CFE progress Big win for kids in school-aid reform December 9, 2004 New York State United Teachers has called for statewide implementation of the recommendations of a court-appointed panel in the ongoing legal battle to provide a "sound, basic education" to children in New York City. "The same inequities that hurt New York City students are still hurting students in urban and rural districts across the state," said NYSUT President Tom Hobart. His comments followed the Nov. 30 release of a report by a three-member panel of special masters in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case. The panel, whose scope was limited to New York City, wrote that the city's public schools need $5.6 billion more in operating aid over four years and $9.2 billion for classrooms, labs and other facilities to provide students the resources the state constitution guarantees them. The panel of special masters was appointed by state Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse after the state failed to meet a July 30, 2004, deadline for complying with a 2003 Court of Appeals ruling to fix the funding system for New York City schools. While the high court's ruling was based on facts involving only New York City schools, the special masters did acknowledge that a statewide response was desirable. With NYSUT, the state's major education organizations have long called for any funding reforms to be implemented statewide. NYSUT Second Vice President Maria Neira said the statewide union, which strongly supported the CFE lawsuit, will continue to push for more reforms and more equity in educational opportunities. "The recommendations from the special masters are, we hope, an end to the years of legal wrangling," Neira said. The president of the United Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, praised the panel's ruling as good news "for anyone who cares about schools and the needs of our kids." UFT, NYSUT's affiliate in New York City schools, filed a "friend of the court" brief in the landmark case that CFE — a coalition of groups seeking school finance reform — first brought to court in 1993. CFE officials said they will keep pushing for statewide reform. In light of the court panel's findings, CFE proposes that all 517 districts that the expert research team determined were lacking resources should get the funding they deserve — and other districts should be held harmless. The panel urged the court to give the state just 90 days to enact a plan that will give all students a sound, basic education. NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin said the union stands ready to work with the governor and state Legislature to come up with an improved funding system for public schools statewide, including higher education. |
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