The Center for Educational Equity

RI plaintiffs in federal right-to-education case will appeal. They are represented in the case by CEE executive director Michael Rebell. Read more here.

It's an "unfavorable decision with a bright silver lining." Read more about interesting Judge Smith's decision here.

Update on Cook v. Raimondo We finally got our long-awaited decision in our federal right-to-education case. Judge William Smith of the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the case. But Judge Smith did so in a manner that eloquently set forth the critical importance of the issues the plaintiffs raised. His decision also provided a virtual road map for presenting the case to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals --which we will definitely do. Read our blog post to learn more.

Evidence from the Great Recession reveals that school-funding cuts lead to lower test scores and lower college-going rates--and these budget cuts harm Black students and low-income students disproportionately. In the current crisis, New York State must raise revenues to avoid the predictable and long-lasting consequences of cutting public education spending. The governor and legislature must prioritize school funding, maintain support for instruction, and ensure a sound basic education for every NY student. #EduEquity

Leading economists recommend that New York State levy wealth taxes to avoid the serious, long-term, negative economic and social impact of school-funding cuts. Raising revenues from very wealthy New Yorkers to fill state budget gaps has few negative consequences for the state, they assert. And wealth taxes can shift some of the burden of the pandemic’s impact from those who can least afford it to those who can most afford it. Watch this powerful webinar from the Fiscal Policy Institute.

At a news conference with State Senator Robert Jackson and several other lawmakers, CEE Executive Director Michael Rebell announced that he was exploring filing an injunction blocking the 20% state aid cuts to public schools. Rebell argues that these cuts-implemented by Governor Cuomo in order to help close the budget deficit- unconstitutionally prevent children from receiving a sound, basic education.

In a recent op-ed in the New York Daily News, State Senator Robert Jackson and CEE Executive Director Michael A. Rebell called on Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature to comply with the CFE decision and properly fund New York's schools during the pandemic. The pandemic has the potential to exacerbate existing educational inequities that disproportionately harm children of color and children living in poverty, and the authors argue that the state must establish a new funding system that ensures all children receive their constitutional right to a sound basic education. Read the full article here:

Yesterday, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) announced that they would be prepared to strike should New York City fail to implement adequate coronavirus safety measures prior to school reopenings on September 10th. The demands issued by the UFT included a testing and contact tracing program for all returning children and adults, ventilation standards for school buildings, adequate numbers of school nurses, and sufficient PPE and cleaning supplies.

Two exciting virtual offerings from the Harvard School of Education this afternoon! From 3-4 pm, Making Caring Common is hosting a session on classroom relationship building and strategies that teachers can use to address their students socio-emotional needs this fall. From 5-5:40 pm, "Voter organizations and what young people can do" will provide attendees with information about paid and volunteer opportunities aimed at voter mobilization and increasing voter engagement. Registration for both events can be found below: 3 pm classroom relationship building session: https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu//free-training-building-relati 5 pm voter organization session: https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu//voter-organizations-and-what-

Check out this new podcast from the New York Times! In "Nice White Parents," Chana Joffe-Walt traces the history of a middle school in Brooklyn, asking important questions about how white parents wield power in the public school system. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.nytimes.com//po/nice-white-parents-serial.html

While the overwhelming majority of New York school board members would like to see students return to classes either full or part-time this fall, only 29% believe their districts could re-open safely at this time without receiving additional federal aid. An AFT report in June estimated that school districts nationwide would need over $100 billion dollars in funding to ensure safety and social distancing, adequate technology for remote learning, and extra support for high-need students who fell behind academically during the pandemic.

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a state budget that largely preserves K-12 funding for the 2020-21 school year. Notably, the finalized budget reverses many funding cuts that the Governor had proposed to balance the budget after school officials statewide expressed alarm that they would be unable to safely reopen in such conditions. It also provides additional funding to address closure related learning loss and the needs of special education students, preserves funding for after-school programs, and prevents teacher layoffs. New York State should protect its education budget in a similar manner so that our most vulnerable student populations are not harmed by any potential cuts.

Young people increasingly rely on social media and the internet for news and commentary. Tell your NY elected officials and school leaders to prioritize media literacy education to ensure that all students are well-informed voters. Read the inaugural report from the DemocracyReady NY coalition here:http://www.democracyreadyny.org/Developing-Digital-Citizens

Youth organizers in Providence, Rhode Island, led the city's Juneteenth rally this past Friday, calling for an end to police brutality and systemic racism both in their home city and beyond. The protestors' list of demands included school improvements. They asked for investments in increased numbers of educators of color, school counselors, and other socio-emotional support staff. Furthermore, the activists expressed support for the Cook v. Raimondo lawsuit, which seeks to establish a federal right to an education that prepares all students for capable civic participation. CEE's executive director Michael A. Rebell serves as lead counsel to the plaintiffs in the Cook case, which is currently pending decision. https://upriseri.com/2020-06-20-juneteenth-pvd/