CNYcentral.com
Syracuse
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=590705
Education advocates boarded a bus to Albany Wednesday morning to join hundreds of other New Yorkers for Education Lobby Day.
About 70 teachers, parents, and students from Central New York are participating in the event. They’re asking state lawmakers to prevent education cuts by rejecting tax breaks for the wealthiest New Yorkers.
For one 11-year-old, the trip was personal. Shedalia Payne is a student at Elmwood Elementary School, which is scheduled to close because of budget cuts. She is giving a speech at Education Lobby Day.
“If you do budget cuts, they might cut art, music, whatever kids need,” Payne says.
Vickie Darby was also making the trip to support her four children.
“Education is the top thing in my house,” Darby says. “I want them to do so much better than I did in school, and I want them to succeed.”
The organizer of the event, Tanika Jones-Cole, says in order for kids to succeed, schools need to receive the necessary state funding.
“It’s not OK to balance the state’s budget on the backs of our school children. Our children deserve to have a quality education that prepares them for college and careers,” she says.
Jones-Cole says today’s event is just the beginning of their fight. They also plan to have a vigil on March 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the State Office Building on East Washington Street in Syracuse.
What do you think about Governor Cuomo’s proposed cuts to education? Do you think they are necessary? What would you cut instead? Leave your comments below.
