Say Yes to Education

Statement of Say Yes to Education President Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey on the release of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s budget proposal

I am pleased to see the Governor’s budget support a major step forward in building a new generation of New Yorkers who will be poised to strengthen our great state and compete globally. The priorities set forth in this budget represent a much-needed incentive to support what works and ensure great outcomes for New York’s children and families.

The governor’s budget places a priority on funding evidence-based solutions to help dramatically change educational outcomes. In an era where budgets remain tight, the investments in today’s budget focus on funding communities committed to building more effective, efficient and transparent ways of delivering education and other services to young people. The emphasis on competitive funding and targeting additional support to the highest-need school districts is the right approach and best use of our scarce resources. We will be able to learn from the successful work of these communities and share these practices across the state and nation.

Say Yes’ work over the past the 25 years has shown early interventions matter. Expanding quality pre-kindergarten education must be part of any state effort to strengthen student outcomes, and the budget really pushes the envelope to make these services available to more children in our neediest communities.

The budget’s investments in performance management and community schools will support a comprehensive strategy to strengthen our education system and to untangle and rewire the how government and communities work together to serve families and young people.

Efforts that focus on what it takes to motivate students to work harder and mobilize the community to provide needed health, counseling, and tutoring services young people need to succeed are essential to putting more communities in our state on the path to success.

I know the legislature will join me in supporting this ambitious effort to create the civic infrastructure and provide the educational opportunities New York’s students and families need.