Ah, the end to a busy week, (testing testimony, the release of graduation rates, the start of high school Regents exams) and next week will be even busier! (More Regents exams, June 19 budget revote for those districts still trying to get budgets passed, schools gearing down and the end of the legislative session are just a few reasons.)
The end of the legislative session is important on a wide number of issues. NYSUT is working to:
- protect teacher and student privacy,
- correct an issue where more than a dozen BOCES have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because the law is unclear about whether or not BOCES are permitted to contract with out-of-state public school districts,
- support nurses and protect safe patient handling,
- protect the right to freedom of information at SUNY and CUNY schools,
- reform the irresponsible tax cap,
- pass the DREAM act, and
- stop workplace bullying.
We’ve already written about most of those issues previously. The BOCES issue is interesting. By allowing Boards of Cooperative Educational Services to contract with bordering school districts, we would enable them to continue to maintain low-cost programs and services to component school districts. It would not cost the state a dime to pass this legislation, and it would actually save property taxpayers money. Allowing out-of-state students to participate with in-state students would, in many cases, allow some programs to continue. And increased BOCES enrollment helps students have access to quality programs.
The legislative session is scheduled to come to a close next week, so we need you to act now!
Is John King going to respond to the questions submitted via the NYSUT website when he ran out of time at the NYSUT RA? We didn’t forget.