Pl help kids get smaller classes in last few days of the Legislative session!

June 8, 2021

I wanted to share with you my latest Gotham Gazette piece co-authored with Wendy Lecker of the Education Law Center about why this year, to do right by our kids, the Legislature must restart the clock on NYC’s obligation to lower class size by passing S.6296 and A. 7447.

We have only four more days before the Legislature closes for the year.  Please call the Legislative leaders today, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, and ask them to bring these bills to the floor for a vote.

Call Speaker Heastie at 518-455-3791; here is what you can say when you speak to his staff or leave a message:

Hi, my name is x and my phone number is y. I am calling to urge Speaker Heastie to bring A. 7447 to the floor, the bill that would require NYC to update and implement a five-year class size reduction plan.   The state’s highest court said that smaller classes would be necessary to provide NYC student their constitutional right to a sound, basic education. Now that we are getting full state funding, NYC should be requiredto lower class size in our schools. I would appreciate a call back to let me know Speaker Heastie’s position on this important bill and whether he will allow the members to vote on it.

Call Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins at (518) 455-2585, and say:

Hi, my name is x and my phone no. is y. I am calling to urge Leader Stewart Cousins to bring S.6296 to the floor for a vote, the bill that would require NYC to update and implement a five-year class size reduction plan.   The state’s highest court said that smaller classes were necessary to provide NYC student with their constitutional right to a sound, basic education. Now that we are getting full state funding, NYC should be obligated to lower class size in our schools. I would appreciate a call back to let me know her position on this important bill and whether she will allow the members to vote on it.

Finally, if you have time, please put the info here on our google doc so we can track who has been called and what response if any you’ve gotten from their staff.

As always, thanks for your support, Leonie