THE MISSION OF THE EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES PANEL
The goal of the Educational Priorities Panel is to improve the quality of public education for New York City's children so that there is no longer a performance gap between city schools and those in the rest of the state. EPP pursues this goal by seeking reforms of federal, state, and city budget and administrative practices affecting children.
The objectives of EPP are:
- to bring badly needed resources to New York City and other urban school districts
- to ensure that funds are distributed fairly
- to advocate that funds are effectively used for the benefit of students, especially those with the greatest needs for high-quality instruction
The Educational Priorities Panel was formed as a coalition in 1976, during the height of New York City’s fiscal crisis, to prevent further cutbacks to student instruction and services. The Panel’s 24 member organizations represent a broad spectrum of civic, racial, ethnic, and religious groups. These organizations as well as government decision makers, education officials, and parents have used EPP materials and reports to work more knowledgeably to improve public education.
 EPP Video
Educational Priorities Panel announces free copies are available of its video on middle schools:
Listen to the Children - It’s time to change the way we pay for our schools!
This video is suitable for parent-group meetings and civic discussions. It takes a hard look at 8th grade classes
across New York State: from those in affluent suburban communities to
those in poor rural areas and the "inner-city". The 30-minute
video breaks down the concept of school
funding unfairness so that all can understand it.
- Why
is quality education in limited supply in New York State?
- Why
do some children in New York have access to up-to-date textbooks and
state-of-the-art technology while others do not?
- Why are art and
music classes fundamental offerings in some communities and luxuries
that schools in others can’t afford?
- Whose responsibility
is it to fund a sound basic education for all?
This video details the variety of challenges facing
middle schools across New York State, from rural Letchworth and Pine Bush, to
suburban Great Neck and Mamaroneck, to the cities of Buffalo and New York.
You’ll hear the firsthand experiences of teachers coping with inadequate
resources and students struggling to learn under substandard conditions
as well as how educational leaders like former NYS Chancellor Carl Hayden and
former State Education Commissioner Tom Sobol view the state funding
system.
This video will soon be available on this website.
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