Lately a lot controversies over educational funding has grabbed the attention of millions of students in the United States. From college students to even public schools, cuts are being announced day-by-day. Few days ago, we received an e-mail from the Renaissance Charter School’s college coordinator, Anna Falla-Riff, requesting support from students and organizations. The e-mail stated:
Our school is facing a major crisis. We need your help. Please support us so we can continue to support students like yourselves.
The College Office
PLEASE READ BELOW:
Remember the discussions we had in class regarding budget cuts and how this might affect us as a school? Please read below. THE BUDGET CUTS ARE HERE. It is imperative that we ACT NOW to safeguard your right to a quality education. The following are a list of some of the programs/services TRCS would need to cut:
TRCS "Growing Up In Cities" Program. Image from RenaissaceCharter.org.
- Sports
- Clubs
- Possible loss of teachers and/or other staff
- Electives
- Intensive College Bound Support
- Programs like “Project Maya”, “New Orleans”
- Books
- Computers
- Dances
- Art/Music/Drama
- Afterschool Homework Centers
- Summer School (which enables students to graduate on time)
- Reduction in Learning Center online classes
- New Curriculum
- Less personalized attention due to larger classes
- We may see additional cuts in other programs like “College Now” that provide students with opportunities to gain acceptance in the colleges of their choice
This is serious. We urge you to exercise the leadership skills our school has fostered in you to protect your future. If we don’t act now, later will be too late.
The College Office
We have seen what a great school the Renaissance Charter School is. From their Social Justice Day to their “Rinsizzle” Week, this school offers the students not only the ability to learn from books, but also implement what they learned. Something many don’t get the chance to experience. These wonderful programs that the school hosts are funded through the scholarship/grant they receive. If the school does not receive any money for the next school year, they will not be able to provide such high education and activities/programs.
We are not writing this notice to ask you to donate money, but rather to speak your mind. These councilman/woman, state senators, or any higher authority does take the populations comments into consideration. Although one voice may not cause them to change their mind, it will show the community that someone cares enough to speak up. Soon enough, that one voice will become hundreds, even thousands.
Similarly throughout the United States many schools, colleges, universities and even non-profit educational programs are loosing funding and facing problems. These problems will not go away if we just leave it be. Your voice needs to be heard. Speak up. Shout.
Sazzad Hossain
Charter school funding will be “frozen” for next year to this year’s funding levels, which is a substantial cut of $40 million from the preliminary 2009-10 figures issued last month, according to the state budget agreement among20the Assembly, Senate and Governor Paterson.
We urge charter school parents, trustees and supporters to call the offices of Gov. Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and urge them to stop this funding cut!
Gov. Paterson and Sen. Smith have been charter school supporters – yet the same Gov. Paterson and Sen. Smith agreed to cut charter funding by more than $40 million even as they increased state aid to school districts by $1.2 billion! The state teachers union (NYSUT) urged the legislature to freeze charter funding, and the Governor and legislature complied.
They need to be contacted in the next 24 hours to live up to their commitment to charter schools and restore the funding charter schools were promised!
Gov. Paterson’s phone number is (518) 474-8390 [fax: (518)-474-1513]; Sen. Malcolm Smith’s Albany office phone is (518) 455-2701 [fax: (518) 455-2816].
A freeze means that the preliminary calculation for 2009-10 charter payments by school districts would not take effect and result in a funding cut. As an example, a single charter school with 300 students next year, scheduled to receive $990 per student increase, would lose $297,000!
Issue Background
As you know, charter tuition payments from the students’ district of residence are the primary source of funding. By contrast, school districts can levy taxes to make up a state funding shortfall. Additionally, federal funding is an increasing revenue source for school districts, which will receive millions extra from the federal economic stimulus bill approved last month.