Gifford Miller sends a message to all who may want him for Mayor: I do things the old fashioned way, in support of the teacher's union, and thus for all the hard-working and diverse citizens this city serves.

The Announcement of the commission, and its' members, are political PR that may have adverse consequences for all the appointees (if Mr. Miller loses the race for mayor) and this would be a good thing.

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
TEL: 212-788-7116
FAX: 212-788-7126
www.nyccouncil.info

For Immediate Release
June 30, 2004

Contact:
Leticia Theodore: 212.788.7157

SPEAKER APPOINTS COMMISSION TO PLAN FOR NEW SCHOOL FUNDING DOLLARS

City Hall, NY – Council Speaker Gifford Miller announced the formation of a 13-member commission charged with creating a plan for the school funding dollars coming to the City as a result of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) lawsuit.

"The recommendations of this commission will help the Council make sound budgetary and policy decisions to help us meet the goals set forth in the CFE lawsuit," said Speaker Miller. "We owe it to our children, parents, advocates and educators to be prepared when a decision is made on these essential reforms. Being prepared will make the difference between scrambling for answers at the last moment and being ready to help our children reach their full potential immediately."

Without offering specific guidance, the courts have noted smaller class size and qualified teachers are essential for educational reform. The Council has long advocated for these, as well as, a stronger emphasis on early childhood education. Over the next six months, the commission will focus on four key issues:
• Class Size Reduction
• Teacher recruitment, training and retention
• Early Intervention – improving early childhood education and access to Universal Pre-K
• Enhancing enrichment and after-school programs

"I have selected a panel of stakeholders in our education system with a wealth of experience," said Speaker Miller. "They possess immense knowledge of our school system, sound judgment, and, above all, a commitment to making real improvements for our 1.1 million public school children."

"This is an important issue and the Speaker has appointed a reputable group to lead this charge," said Council Member Eva Moskowitz, Chair of the City Council Education Committee. "I look forward to working with the commission to get New York City's children and schools the funding they deserve."

Commission members are as follows:
• Luis Garden Acosta - President and CEO, El Puente
• Robin Brown - First Chair, Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council and President, United Parents
Association of NYC
• Jill Chaifetz - Executive Director, Advocates for Children of New York
• Robert Jackson - NYC Council Member and the lead plaintiff in the CFE lawsuit
• David Jones, Commission Co-Chair - President and CEO, Community Service Society
• Dr. Arthur Levine, Commission Co-Chair - President and Professor of Education, Teachers
College Columbia University; Trustee, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
• Monique Massa-Sena – Brooklyn parent whose two children attend New York City Public Schools
• Joan McKeever-Thomas – Chairperson, Staten Island High School President Council
• Gail B. Nayowith - Executive Director, Citizen's Committee for Children of New York (CCC)
• Dr. Pedro Antonio Noguera – Professor, Steinhardt School of Education, NYU
• Anita Gomez-Palacio - Executive Director, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
(CSA)
• Amina Rachman - Special Assistant to the President of The United Federation of Teachers
• Peter F. Tufo – Public Servant and Former Ambassador to Hungary

"I want to congratulate Speaker Miller and the Council for appointing this distinguished group of New Yorkers to help decide how to use the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court decision to provide a sound basic education to all of New York City's public school children," said United Federation of Teachers President, Randi Weingarten. "A lot of that decision is about resources and how to use them well. More than 115,000 New Yorkers have already weighed in on that by petitioning for reduced class size, although the proposed initiative to study the issue was knocked off the ballot last year by Mayor Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the Zarb Commission, on which I served, has found that our schools need systemic reform that will ensure that every child gets a qualified teacher. The commission members, like many other New Yorkers, know what works. It's up to them to figure out how to do what we all know needs to be done – including finding the resources – to provide a sound basic education to all our kids."

The Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit, brought by a coalition of parents, community school boards and advocates, led New York State's highest court to order state lawmakers to fix its school funding system. In that decision the court determined City school children were being denied a sound, basic education. Now, with exactly 30-days left to a court-imposed July 30th deadline, state lawmakers ended the legislative session without coming to an agreement on how to fix this broken funding system. The court, in turn, will be appointing a Special Master to determine the amount of money the City will receive.

The commission is expected to issue its report next January.


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