March 27, 2004.

See it!

• VIDEO. "Reinvest." 3.6MB MPEG file. 30 seconds.
• VIDEO. "Telephone." 3.6MB MPEG file. 30 seconds.

NEW YORK, N.Y. March 27, 2004 - The 500,000-member New York State United Teachers is launching a nearly $1 million statewide ad campaign to let New Yorkers know that education excellence is sweeping across the state.

NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan B. Lubin said the television, radio and print ads, which begin Sunday and will run for five weeks, are designed to show that the increased state and local investment in public education is proving to be a wise one.

"Test scores are up, and more public schools are achieving excellence. SUNY and CUNY are thriving," Lubin said. "We must keep up the momentum."

Lubin said lawmakers considering the proposed executive budget must see that a far greater investment is warranted. "The Legislature's ongoing investment is paying dividends. School improvement is everywhere and education excellence - by many different measures - is broader and deeper than anyone imagined. This is a story that must be told."

The two 30-second television ads, which will run in more than a dozen markets, use a montage of images to inform New Yorkers that excellence is now commonplace in public education. The data comes from a report, Explosion of Excellence, released to delegates to the union's 32nd Representative Assembly in New York City.

In one television spot, children play a game of telephone, spreading the message that "the word is out" about New York State schools. Test scores are up, New York students are among the best in the nation in science achievement, New York's BOCES is recognized nationally for excellence, and the state is a national leader in the number of students taking Advanced Placement exams.

NYSUT First Vice President Antonia Cortese said the ads are not designed to sugar-coat education's problems. "Excellence is spreading to more and more school districts. But we know we still have a lot of work ahead of us," she said. "But there's been so much negative talk about our schools. It's important that we recognize the excellence our schools are achieving.

"There's a lot that's right with public education in New York State," she added. "The glass isn't half empty, it's more than half full."

NYSUT, the largest union in New York State, represents more than 500,000 classroom teachers and other school employees and retirees; academic and professional faculty at the state's community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York; and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

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