Send in your comments today about DOE’s bogus Contracts for Excellence plan!

The DOE has proposed a Contracts for Excellence spending plan  that is completely inadequate to provide an equitable or adequate education to NYC kids — contrary to the intent of the law, which was passed to fulfill the goals of the CFE lawsuit.

The DOE claims that the state has allocated no more funding to the program, though NYC is getting $538 million more in Foundation aid as a result of CFE. No funds in the plan are specifically targeted towards lowering class size, though this was a central issue that led the state’s highest court to find NYC kids were deprived of their constitutional right to an adequate education. If principals choose to use some of these funds to hire teachers to lower class size, they have to pay 40% more than they do for other teachers, because they have to cover the costs of their pension and benefits, whereas usually these costs are covered centrally.

The following memo was sent by Class Size Matters, Education Law Center and Alliance for Quality Education to the Commissioner and the Regents Chancellor, explaining our deep concerns and profound objections to the DOE’s totally inadequate Contracts for Excellence proposed plan. Please make your voice heard by sending your own letter to DOE, with a copy to the Commissioner and your legislators, by clicking here. Deadline is Sept. 3.

Or you can email your comments to ContractsForExcellence@schools.nyc.gov thanks!