EDUCATION Republican Nick Spano follows George Bush
on Education with his “Leave New York and Westchester
Behind” Education Plan.
GEORGE BUSH
NICK SPANO
• Education
Left Behind : Proposes “No Child
Left Behind” but fails to adequately fund
the program; slashing and burning education funding.
• Yonkers Schools Left Behind
: Kids in Yonkers get 27 percent less school aid
than students in Syracuse, 33 percent less than
students in Rochester, and 42 percent less aid than
students in Buffalo.
• Education Spending
: Placed more unfunded mandates on local schools by
increasing administrative burdens while cutting education
spending.
• Allows Westchester
to be Shortchanged on Education Funding :
Although Yonkers still ranks last among the Big 4
cities in school funding, Nick Spano continues to
defend the state’s school funding formula.
• Refuses to Change
a Failing System : The No Child Left Behind
Act has done little to improve students’ progress.
Using the federal government's National Assessment
of Educational Progress test, a Harvard study found
absolutely no improvement in reading scores since
2001. There was some improvement in math scores but
at the same rate as was occurring prior to 2001.
• Refuses to Change
a Failing System : Despite the heroic efforts
of so many teachers, principals and other school personnel,
New York State has a high school graduation rate of
58 percent, the third-worst in the country. Only 37
percent of our high school graduates go on to finish
college.
• Refuses to Stand
Up For Additional Education Funding : Spano
failed to support legislation by Senator Klein to
set aside 11% of the proceeds of video lottery gaming
at Yonkers racetrack for education in our local schools.
The measure would have provided significant revenue
to Yonkers schools which were then facing a $46 million
shortfall (MTA S.3671 - 2005).
Spano also refused to support an amendment to the
2006-2007 budget which would have increased school
aid to the Yonkers school district by $4.1 million.
That amendment would also have increased aid to the
other schools in the 35th Senate district by $872,000,
or 2% (MTA S.6453 – 2006).
