Here are two different sample resolutions for your PTA, President's Council, or Community Education Council to consider. The first resolution was passed unanimously by CEC from District 26 in Queens; the second by CEC District 15 in Brooklyn and CEC District 8 in the Bronx. A similar resolution was approved by the PTA from PS 95 in D 21 in Brooklyn.
Feel free to adapt or revise these in any way that suits you, and if you do approve one, please let me know, by emailing me at leonie@att.net
Thanks!
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Community Education Council District 26
Address: MS 74, 61-15 Oceania St., Bayside, New York, 11364
Tel: 718.631.6841 FAX: 718.631.6996 Email: CEC26@nycboe.net
Resolution #5-11/18/04
RESOLUTION ON THE USE OF CFE FUNDS TO REDUCE CLASS SIZE
Whereas New York City public schools have had excessive class sizes in all grades, and the largest classes in the state for at least twenty years, by about five to fifteen students per class;
Whereas smaller classes have been conclusively linked to higher student achievement, lower rates of disciplinary problems, less teacher turnover, fewer dropouts, and more parental involvement;
Whereas the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit was based in part on the excessive class sizes in all grades in the New York City public school system, which the Court determined were too large to provide our children with a sound basic education;
Whereas the City’s current plan for these funds, despite more than $5 billion in additional state aid per year and over $6 billion of state funds for facilities, does not lower average class size in any grade higher than 3rd;
Whereas the City plans instead to spend billions of dollars on laptops, technology, and hiring more than three thousand specialists and administrators, housed in leased office space outside school buildings,
Whereas by redirecting some of these funds, and spending less than 10% of its projected budget on education, the City could reduce class size in every grade to or below the state average;
Be it resolved that Community Education Council District 26 endorse the class size reduction proposals put forward by New Yorkers for Smaller Class Size, with no more than 15 in grade K-3, 18 in grades 4-8, and 20 in high school, in every school, and for every student to at least the levels as the average class size in the rest of the state, so that our children will have an equal chance to learn.
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CEC District 15 and CEC District 8 Resolution on the Use of CFE Funds to Reduce Class Size
WHEREAS New York City public schools suffer from excessive class size in all grades, and have had the largest classes in New York State for at least 20 years, by five to fifteen students per class; and
WHEREAS smaller classes have been conclusively linked to higher student achievement, lower rates of disciplinary problems, less teacher turnover, fewer dropouts, and more parental involvement; and
WHEREAS Article XI, section 1, of the New York State Constitution guarantees New York’s children a fundamental right to receive an education; and
WHEREAS the lawsuit (the “Lawsuit”) filed by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (“CFE”) was based, in part, on the proposition that excessive class size in all grades in the New York City public school system constitutes a violation of Article XI of the New York State Constitution; and
WHEREAS New York’s highest Court, the New York State Court of Appeals, in a decision entitled Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. v. State, 100 N.Y.2d 893 (2003), agreed with the CFE and actually and finally determined that the classes in New York City’s public schools were too large to provide our children with a sound basic education; and
WHEREAS the city’s current plan for the more than $5 billion in funds obtained as a result of the Lawsuit (“Lawsuit Proceeds”) would not lower the average class size in any grade higher than third grade; and
WHEREAS the city plans instead to spend billions of dollars in Lawsuit Proceeds on laptop computers, other technology, and the hiring of more than 3,000 specialists and administrators, housed in leased office space outside school buildings; and
WHEREAS by redirecting a portion of the Lawsuit Proceeds, and spending a mere 10 percent of its total projected budget on class-size reduction, the city could reduce class size in every grade to or below the state average.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Community Education Council for District 15 finds that the city’s plan:
(i)
fails to remediate the crisis of overcrowding and excessive class size;
fails to remediate the crisis of overcrowding and excessive class size;(ii)is contrary to the principles of law vindicated in the Lawsuit; and
is contrary to the principles of law vindicated in the Lawsuit; and(iii)is contrary to the best interests of the city’s schoolchildren.
is contrary to the best interests of the city’s schoolchildren.AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the city should be compelled to use a substantial share of the Lawsuit Proceeds to reduce class sizes in every grade, in every school, to at least as low as the average class size in the rest of the state, so that our children will have a better chance to learn. The New York State Court of Appeals has made absolutely clear that New York’s Constitution requires nothing less.
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