By Mary Pasciak
(From Buffalo News, January 25th, 2012)
The District Parent Coordinating Council and Buffalo ReformED joined a few education reform groups across the state today to issue a joint statement supporting the governor’s plan to allocate $250 million in the 2012-13 budget for school performance grants.
School leaders across the state have called on the governor to instead allocate $50 million for the competitive grants, and allocate the other $200 million to school districts through standard aid formulas.
The statement from the reform groups and parent groups today echoed Cuomo’s often-used line that New York spends the most on education than any state, but is 38th in graduation rate, and takes to task “the special interests in New York State (who) have fought successfully to protect the education bureaucracy at the expense of our students.”
“Throwing money at the bureaucracy and watching students fail simply doesn’t work,” the statement said. “Governor Cuomo’s bold proposal to reward districts that show higher student performance truly puts students first.”
The District Parent Coordinating Council and Buffalo ReformED joined a few education reform groups across the state today to issue a joint statement.