Issue Position: Fully Funding Public Schools

Issue Position

Public education is the most important service that government can provide. It has made the American dream possible for generations of citizens and every student in New York is entitled to a chance to realize that dream.

My plan to strengthen and enrich New York's education system includes:

Ensure students have the mental health and additional support they need by requiring a guidance counselor in every school. I have introduced a bill to mandate that every school have at least one guidance counselor. Right now, there are dozens of schools without a full-time guidance counselor, and 40 schools with no guidance counselors at all.

I have also introduced legislation that would require a social worker in every school. Social workers provide crucial emotional support for students, and yet hundreds of New York City schools do not have even a single one. Our students deserve better.

Securing needed funding to reduce class size, secure and retain the best teachers, and stay abreast of an ever-changing technological landscape.

Opposing Mayor de Blasio's plan to change the admissions process for Specialized High Schools, which serve only 5% of high school students and 1% of all students city-wide. This plan will disproportionately affect students in Districts 20, 21, and 22, many of whom are from first- and second-generation immigrant families, and is not a comprehensive solution to address the bigger issues facing our public schools.

Opening a new specialized high school in Southern Brooklyn to alleviate overcrowding and accommodate more students from our community and across the City. Learn More

Increasing after-school program availability, which has proven benefits to students and families including improved academic performance, reduced risk of bad behavior, additional exposure to extra curricular arts and physical education activities, all in a structured and supervised environment.

Making New York the first state in the nation to constitutionally guarantee free, quality education from pre-kindergarten through college for every student so that funding for these vital initiatives will always be available and not subject to the political whims of Albany.

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