Stop the budget cuts: rally on March 19!

Yesterday the Mayor announced further cuts to our schools of another 3% next year, over the 5% already proposed, amounting to more than $1 billion altogether.

He is trying to blame the Governor, who has proposed his own far smaller reductions. Yet Bloomberg is still intent on going through with property tax cuts and rebates amounting to $1.25 billion – without which there would be no need to cut education at all. From the NY Post:

Department spokeswoman Debra Wexler said, "No one wants to cut money from schools' budget, but the economy is struggling, revenues are down and we can't afford to spend more money than we have."…"How can we afford to give a property-tax rebate and reduction when we're cutting education $1 billion?" asked Councilman Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan). "How can the education mayor cut education?"

Meanwhile, a survey finds that the mid-year cuts already imposed have had devastating effects on many schools, including the elimination of after-school programs, weekend classes and tutoring services, textbooks, and instructional supplies. And we’re going ahead with a program to pay kids and their teachers for good test scores? What’s wrong with our priorities as a city?

Join us on Wed., March 19, at 4 PM for a big rally opposite City Hall to protest the budget cuts to school; cosponsored by lots of education groups, including Class Size Matters. Here is a flyer to post or distribute in your school.