Update on our class size lawsuit, June 11 rally and more!

June 2, 2019

1. On May 23, the Education Law Center appealed our lawsuit to the Appellate Court to require DOE to lower class size in all grades, in compliance with its obligations under the Contracts for Excellence law. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of nine NYC parents, Class Size Matters and AQE. We believe the C4E law is clear and that by letting class sizes to increase sharply since 2007, the DOE has been shirking its legal and ethical responsibilities. More on this lawsuit is here.

2. But we’re not waiting for the courts to deliver smaller classes and real equity to NYC kids. On June 11 at noon at City Hall, we’re holding a rally to urge the NYC Council and DOE to allocate specific funding in next year’s budget towards reducing class size; please come and bring your kids. Here is an updated flyer with loads of co-sponsors, including NYC Kids PAC, the UFT, Local 372, and the Education Council Consortium, which represents all the CECs and Citywide Councils in NYC, and more. Please post the flyer in your school and share it with others.

2. Tomorrow, Monday, June 3 at 3:30 PM, Citizen Squirrel, one of the rally’s co-sponsors, is inviting parents and kids to make signs for the rally on the Astroturf at Washington Park in Brooklyn (4th Ave/3rd St.); contact [email protected] for more info.

We’ll also be holding another sign-making session for parents and kids in Lower Manhattan on Sunday June 9 at 1:30 PM; if you’d like to come, please reply to this message for the address and more details.

3. Finally, please remember to attend our annual Skinny award dinner on June 19. We’re honoring Attorney General Tish James, a great supporter of smaller classes and the rights of NYC children; as well as NYC Kids PAC, the only NYC political action group that is focused solely on supporting and strengthening our public schools. You can reserve your ticket here. If you can’t attend but you’d like to make a contribution to work, you can do so at the link.

I know June is a busy month for all of us, with graduations and the like. But please take a moment to participate in these important events –for the sake of your kids and all NYC children.

Thanks for your support, Leonie