ALBANY, N.Y. (January 21, 2020) — In response to Governor Cuomo’s budget address, education advocacy group the Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement.

“We all know that when it comes to budget proposals from Governor Cuomo, the devil is in the details,” said Jasmine Gripper, Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education.

“What we know is true is: education is the civil rights issue of our day; it is New York State’s responsibility to use its funding to achieve equity and fund poorer schools; the Foundation Aid formula is the best way to target additional funding toward the students that need it the most.

“Governor Cuomo talked out both sides of his mouth in his remarks on education in today’s budget address. He first said that the Foundation Aid formula is the best way to drive funding to the neediest students, but then asserted that we need to throw it out and start again with a new formula. We’re tired of Governor Cuomo’s contradictions. Black, Brown and low-income children have been waiting for equity for the past 9 years that Andrew Cuomo has been the Governor of New York State. Our schools don’t need an equity masquerade, they need the $3.8 billion in Foundation Aid that New York State owes them.”