The Education Trust–New York statements on 2022 Executive Budget and State of the State proposals

Jan 19, 2021 | Press Release

The following statement can be attributed to Dia Bryant, deputy director and chief partnerships officer for The Education Trust–New York:

“Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget and State of the State agenda include several promising provisions that raise the profile of educational equity issues in New York State. At a time of continued uncertainty, we are encouraged that New York State continues to prioritize equity issues such as access to affordable high-quality child care, school-level funding transparency, and college access and affordability. As the state gains more clarity on whether it will receive additional funding from the federal government to avoid education cuts, we are eager to see how other critical issues affecting students who have been historically underserved and most impacted by pandemic-related learning loss will be addressed.”

Improving access to child care

“We are grateful that Governor Cuomo’s State of the State agenda recognizes the importance of expanding access to affordable high-quality child care as a key strategy for New York’s economic recovery and growth. The Governor’s proposal to limit co-pays to make child care more affordable for families from low-income backgrounds and to directly address ‘child care deserts’ are important steps to improve equity and expand opportunity. We look forward to additional details on how these proposals will specifically address the needs of infants, toddlers and underserved communities – including communities of color, immigrant communities, and families from low-income backgrounds who have been hardest hit by the pandemic – as part of a comprehensive strategy for a path to universal access to high-quality affordable child care.”

Protecting resources to the highest-need districts and schools

“We join the Governor in calling on the incoming federal administration to allocate New York much needed relief to avoid cuts to the education budget and to help ensure that schools and students get the funding they’ll need to fully recover from the COVID pandemic. No one wants to cut education funding at a time our schools and our students most need resources and support, and we are encouraged that the Governor is considering taking steps to protect resources going to New York’s highest-need districts and ensure that they do not shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden of any cuts because of their reliance on state funding.”

College access and affordability

“We are grateful the Governor’s budget protects New Yorkers’ access to an affordable postsecondary education by preserving financial aid programs such as the Tuition Assistance Program, the Excelsior Scholarship, and funding for opportunity programs. A proposal to extend financial aid eligibility for students who were not able to meet academic requirements is also an important step to ensuring that all New Yorkers are able to continue their pursuit of a postsecondary credential. The state should also invest any additional federal funding into addressing additional barriers to college affordability beyond tuition, including housing, food, and other expenses, for under-represented and first-generation college students.”

Holding for-profit colleges accountable for nondiscrimination provision of the Human Rights Law

“Governor Cuomo’s proposal to make for-profit educational institutions in New York State subject to the nondiscrimination provision of the Human Rights Law represents an important step to ensuring that all New Yorkers can pursue a postsecondary education free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination. With enrollment increasing in these institutions because of the ongoing pandemic, it is also critical that New York take steps to significantly reduce predatory practices in the for-profit sector and ensure educational equity and consumer protection.”