For Immediate Release

Quinn pledges to fight school budget cuts, calls for more Council oversight of DOE

May 20, 2008 5:27 PM

As the featured speaker at the Crain’s New York Business Breakfast Forum on May 20, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn pledged to fight the city’s proposed $450 million in education budget cuts targeting city public schools. She also called for stronger City Council oversight of the city Department of Education to ensure that the concerns of parents are addressed.

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten responded with the following statement:

“We are grateful that Speaker Chris Quinn has joined the chorus of people opposing the city’s proposed $450 million in education budget cuts targeting New York City public schools. She knows that the state government honored its commitment to our school system by providing it with an additional $600 million in education aid despite a slumping economy, and she is committed to ensuring that the city keeps its promise to our children by finding ways to reduce spending to keep the budget cuts from harming classroom instruction.

And while overseeing public education here in the city is a responsibility of the state government – just like it is in school districts throughout the state – Quinn is right to recognize the need for greater local oversight by the Council to balance mayoral control of the school system and ensure that parents have a strong voice in education matters affecting their children.”