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Letters 99
EPP June 1999 Letter on Class Size Reduction Funding

June 8, 1999

Senator Charles Schumer
26 Federal Plaza
Ste. 31-100
New York, NY 10278

Dear Senator Schumer:

The Educational Priorities Panel, a coalition of 24 civic and parent organizations, and the Class Size Matters Campaign, a group of hundreds of parents with children in New York City public schools, would like to invite you to participate in a press conference outside a school at your convenience, either this Friday, June 11 or Monday, June 14, to publicize the fact that New York state may lose over $100 million in federal funds for class size reduction in the early grades, because of the failure of the Governor and the Legislature to approve a budget that includes already-promised state funds for these purposes. Also attending this press conference would be parents, education advocates, union leaders, and other public officials.

We have just learned that New York State is the only state of fifty being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education and may be refused federal funds for class size reduction because the legislation specifically forbids these funds to be used to supplant state dollars. As you may already know, Governor Pataki has proposed canceling the state aid program for reducing class size originally passed by the Legislature and signed into law in August of 1997, and substituting a block grant with far fewer dollars.

We are very concerned that the negotiations up in Albany are deadlocked, and the Legislature may adjourn June 16 without passing a budget. Meanwhile, the federal money is supposed to be allocated July 1. We are hoping that this news may prompt the Governor and the Legislature to resolve these issues before we further jeopardize the federal funds. It would be a tragedy if the Governor’s refusal to approve a $75 million state aid program passed two years ago led to our losing over $100 million in federal funds. Moreover, only with both sources of funding secure will most of the children in New York City public schools be able to benefit from smaller classes in the early grades.

We know you care deeply about the issue of reduced class size, and ran on this issue during your campaign. Experts agree that the best way to boost children’s reading and math skills is to reduce class size in the early grades. Just last month, the latest results from the Tennessee STAR study were released, which showed that children who were given the chance to learn in smaller classes in grades K-3 not only succeeded much better in elementary school, but have now graduated from high school with higher grades, higher rates of graduation, and a much greater likelihood to be headed towards college than those of their fellow students who had remained in larger classes in the early grades. Though all students benefited, those who gained the most were exactly those that need extra help in New York City and the other large urban centers in the state: students from the poor and minority communities.

We are enclosing a mission statement for EPP, with our member organizations listed, and we hope that you will be able to attend our press conference on this very urgent issue.

Sincerely,
Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters Campaign
Noreen Connell, Executive Director, Educational Priorities Panel

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