June 26, 2003

Congressman Gregory W. Meeks
Applauds the New York Court of Appeals Ruling
On Inadequacy of Current Funding System for
City Public School Education

St, Albans, NY- Todays ruling is the first step in the right direction to provide New York Citys 1.1 million school children with a sound education so that they can compete in a global marketplace.

Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY) released the following statement today on the Court of Appeals ruling that the current funding system is inadequate to provide the 1.1 million New York City school children the basic sound education, they are entitled to under the state constitution: When Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse ruled in 2001 that the states education funding system shortchanged the mostly minority population of New York City schools, his ruling confirmed what parents, civic leaders and local elected officials have long known and what school and state officials have continuously denied.

The harsh reality is that students in minority communities are expected to succeed in overcrowded classrooms, with inferior facilities and inadequate equipment. They are sometimes taught by unqualified teachers and are forced to share textbooks and other learning materials. It is not uncommon to have teachers who are committed to their students spend their own money for basic supplies and books. These professionals are distraught by the quality of the teaching tools made available to them. Concerned parents, teachers and civic leaders have repeatedly called for smaller classrooms and better resources. Perhaps now, the students of New York will receive the kind of education they deserve.

Chief Judge Judith Kaye went so far as to state, the number of children in these straits is large enough to represent a systemic failure. Systematic failure indeed! I concur that a major overhaul of how education funds are distributed is an appropriate action and just the first in a series of steps in the right direction to provide New York Citys 1.1 million school children with a sound education so that they can compete in a global marketplace.

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