The broad new coalition of more than 100 organizations held seven press conferences from Long Island to Buffalo to call for a concerted effort to dramatically improve educational performance in New York. The New York State Board of Regents established new learning standards setting a high level of achievement which must be met by every child in order to graduate from high school. All children deserve to be taught by a qualified teacher and school leader. All children deserve room to learn in a safe and modern classroom.
All children deserve the benefits of early childhood education programs.
Recognizing that achieving these principles will require an increase in spending, the Alliance's final point of agreement is that schools must be held accountable to parents and the community for spending additional funding as intended, and for achieving improved educational outcomes for children. The new coalition will work to unite New Yorkers to urge the Legislature, the Regents and the Governor to undertake bold measures to ensure that New York children acquire the high level of knowledge and skills needed in the new economy. Parents from urban and rural districts expressed shared concerns. We also need to invest in ongoing professional development for our existing teaching staff to support them as they help their students meet the new standards. The Alliance cited the U.S. General Accounting Office's report on school facilities in explaining the need for increased capital investment.