Don’t let Andrew Cuomo do Betsy De Vos’s dirty work in New York
There is a reason that Betsy DeVos sings the praises of Andrew Cuomo.
He talks Betsy’s language. He called public schools “a monopoly” that he wants to “break.” He introduced the “Parental Choice Act,” a voucher program using tax credits. And when it comes to charter schools, he received millions in donations from their advocates. Cuomo earns those donations by furthering the charter lobby agenda.
And this year, he is doing it again.
Cuomo wants to expand charters in NYC even further by eliminating the charter cap. His budget would give more taxpayer dollars to charter schools for rent. And he wants to force NYC schools to give even more space in their own school buildings to charter schools.
But that’s not all. Cuomo’s budget would decrease the current reimbursement to school districts for supplemental charter tuition in 2018-19, and give reimbursement to fewer districts. This would be a $22 million reduction in aid to school districts statewide.
Tell Governor Cuomo to stop privatizing New York public education by sending an email: click here.
Below is a sample of the per pupil charter tuition rates that some New York districts must pay when a student attends a charter school:
Pawling Central School District: $16,071 per student.
Albany City School District: $14,572 per student.
Lake Pleasant School District: $25,831
Hempstead School District: $18,202
Lawrence School District: $ 23,002
Rockville Centre School District: $19,267
New York City: $14,027
Are you shocked? You should be. And districts pay transportation costs as well.
To see the charter school per pupil tuition rate your district pays from its budget (or would pay when charters expand to your area) go here.
With Betsy DeVos in charge, Cuomo will have a Washington partner. Make it clear to Cuomo that you support public education and oppose school privatization by sending this email today.
Carol Burris,
Executive Director
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