Campaign for Fiscal Equity

The Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) is a not-for-profit advocacy organization seeking to protect and promote the constitutional right to a sound basic education for all public school students in the State of New York. The organization filed and won the landmark "CFE v. State of New York" lawsuit which successfully argued that the state's school finance system under-funded New York City public schools and denied its students their constitutional right.

Funding and history of the organization

CFE was founded in 1993 by a coalition of concerned parents and education advocates. It receives funding from a range of sources, including the Ford Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and the Schott Foundation.

"Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. v. State"

CFE filed its 13-year-long constitutional challenge to the New York State school funding system in 1993. The Court of Appeals, New York's highest court, ruled in 1995 that the New York State constitution requires that the state offer all children the opportunity for a "sound basic education," defined as a meaningful high school education that prepares students for compatitive employment and civic participation. ["Campaign for Fiscal Equity Inc. v. State", 86 N.Y.2d 306 (1995), found [http://www.law.cornell.edu/nyctap/comments/i95_0156.htm Cornell law School Legal Information Institute] . Accessed March 19, 2008.]

Actions and lawsuits 2001-2006

In 2001 State Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse found that the current state school funding system was unconstitutional. Governor George Pataki appealed the decision, which was overturned in 2002 by the Appellate Division. CFE appealed to the Court of Appeals, which again found in favor of CFE in 2003. The Court of Appeals gave the State of New York until July 30, 2004 to comply with its order.

The state failed to meet this deadline, however, and the court appointed three referees who were given until November 30, 2004 to submit a compliance plan to Justice Leland DeGrasse of the State Supreme Court. Justice DeGrasse agreed with the referees' recommendations and in 2005 ruled that New York City schools needed an additional $5.6 billion in annual operating aid and an additional $9.2 billion over five years for building, renovating, and leasing facilities in order to provide students with their constitutional right to the opportunity to receive a sound basic education.

Governor Pataki appealed again to the Appellate Division. In March 2006 the Appellate Division upheld most of the Supreme Court's ruling, ordering the state to provide between $4.7 billion and $5.63 billion in annual operating aid and $9.2 billion in capital funds. On April 1, the legislature enacted capital funding that met the court's requirement, but it did not comply with the operational funding order.

In November 2006, the Court of Appeals reaffirmed its 2003 decision, but citing the limited authority of the courts to direct the manner in which state money is spent, merely ordered the state to consider providing at least $2 billion more in annual operating aid to New York City's public schools.

CFE work since 2006

In January 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer proposed education finance and accountability reforms that included statewide increases of $7 billion in annual state education aid, including $5.4 billion for New York City, phased in over four years. The legislature passed Governor Spitzer's recommendations in April 2007 (State Education Budget and Reform Act of 2007-08).

CFE now works to secure full funding and implementation of the massive school finance and accountability reforms, to ensure transparency and adequate information to measure academic progress, and secure meaningful public participation in the development of education programs and policies. The watchdog organization has been instrumental in developing and implementing the "Contract for Excellence", as well as other initiatives seeking to bring new funds and resources to the highest-needs students in the lowest-performing schools across New York State.

References

ee also

*Education in New York City
*Michael Rebell
*Robert Jackson (NYC)
*Geri Palast

External links

* [http://www.cfequity.org: Official website of the CFE]
* [http://www.cfequity.org/decision.html Full text] of January 10 2001 ruling