Guest Column—
Assemblyman
Frank Seddio

Decision Gives N.Y. Chance To Fix Unfair School Aid Formula

Fifty years ago this week, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Declaring that separate is inherently unequal, a unanimous court ordered schools integrated and opened the door to education and opportunity to millions of children across the country. Yet, for many children in New York, the promise of the Brown ruling has never been fulfilled.

In New York State today, every child isn’t receiving the same education. The financial and educational divide between high-need and other schools in this state recalls the one that white and African-American schools had 50 years ago. Brown was supposed to fix problems like this, but New York State is still struggling to provide each child with a sound, basic education.

That’s why the Campaign for Fiscal Equity’s lawsuit against the state is so important. CFE proved that, like in Brown, New York’s education system is unequal, and many children lack access to a quality education. The governor spent more than $12 million fighting the case, arguing that an eighth grade education is as far as the state’s obligation to its students goes, but New York’s highest court rejected those arguments and told the state to find a better way of funding high-need school districts by July 30.

This is more than a mandate; it’s an opportunity and a responsibility as well - a chance to correct the glaring deficiencies in the way we fund high-need schools. In so doing, we can radically improve the lives of countless children and put New York on a stronger footing as we enter the information economy.

If only everyone in state government saw things that way. Governor Pataki showed a disturbing lack of leadership by waiting until two months after the court’s decision to appoint yet another commission to issue yet another report on school financing that provided no new information and failed to offer a viable solution. Worse, he set a March 1 deadline for the commission’s report - which is six months after his commission was created and two months after his budget proposal was due - and then allowed them a further extension. For his part, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno suggested that lawmakers give up entirely and let the courts come up with a plan. However, because the CFE case dealt specifically with New York City schools, such a plan would only benefit New York City.

That’s not acceptable. Rather than sit back and allow the courts to create a system that will only benefit some students, we must see to it that all schools get the resources they need to provide a sound, basic education. That’s exactly what the Assembly is doing, working to come up with a solution that, like a rising tide, will lift all boats. If the governor and Senate were willing to seriously commit to this challenge, we could come up with a solution that benefits the entire state. It’s time for them to show leadership and work with the Assembly to find a solution.

It’s important that we look back this week and not only see how far we’ve come, but also how much further we have to go when it comes to educational opportunity. The battle started with Brown v. Board of Education, but it didn’t end there. Only when all children have access to a quality education will we be able to say that this landmark case is truly part of our past.

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