Watervliet students, teachers, administrators head to Albany today urging education equity

Feb. 29, 2012

Students, teachers and administrators will represent the Watervliet City School District today as hundreds from around the state gather in Albany to call for the equitable distribution of education aid.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lori S. Caplan will be among the guest speakers today at the Rural and Small City Schools Forum that will begin at 11 a.m. at The Egg.

The forum is being sponsored by the Alliance for Quality Education, the New York State Association of Small City School District and the New York State United Teachers.

In addition to Dr. Caplan, teachers Scott Emerson and Peter Strand and teaching assistant Jeffery DiPaola, more than 20 Watervliet honor students and student council members will head to Albany – thanks to funding providing by the forum – to get a hands-on lesson in advocacy and government.

Organizers of the event are calling for the prioritizing of classroom aid to high-needs districts like Watervliet.

“The lack of state aid to low income school districts will only perpetuate the ever-growing achievement gap between the schools that ‘have’ and the schools that ‘have not’,” Dr. Caplan said. “I truly believe that public advocacy for equality in education spending is essential as we fight for our students and their right to a top-notch education.”

Dr. Caplan is urging local residents to learn all they can about the state and local school budgets. Watervliet residents have two upcoming opportunities to learn more about the 2012-13 Watervliet budget:

● Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. Budget and Breakfast Forum, high school cafeteria

● Wednesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m., Budget Q & A, sponsored by the Watervliet Elementary School PTA and UPK, elementary school cafeteria. This forum will begin with an overview of the state's property tax levy cap presented by Questar III BOCES State Aid and Financial Planning Service.