Release: González-Rojas Unveils Bold, Progressive Education Plan
Assembly Candidate Calls for Dual Language Expansion, Childcare for All, Comprehensive Sex Ed, and Investments in Special Education
Jackson Heights, Queens — Jessica González-Rojas, Democrat for Assembly (NY34), stood with education advocates and experts to unveil a bold platform for education reforms. González-Rojas, a parent of a public school student and former adjunct professor at CUNY and NYU, called for expanding dual language programs, a universal childcare program, comprehensive sex education, and significant increase in special education funding.
“I believe education is our society's great equalizer,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Democrat for Assembly (NY34). “Our city has a segregated school system and integration must be the top priority. We must fight for fully funding New York City public schools which have been cheated out of getting our fair share of resources. We need bold leadership to fight for equity in education, from cradle to college.”
In New York, despite having one of the highest per student spending ratios in the country, funding is not distributed equally. We are seeing income inequality grow, while access to a quality education seems more and more out of reach for those who cannot afford it. New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the nation, a result of exclusionary zoning that essentially redlined neighborhoods, and cuts to necessary resources for the most at-risk neighborhoods. Working class parents are struggling to find affordable, quality childcare while our schools are not getting the necessary funding it needs to ensure the success of every child.
"The public schools in Assembly District 34 are owed over $12 million dollars in Foundation Aid from New York State. This means schools in this community will continue to be forced to make difficult decisions about what they can offer and what opportunities they will deny to students in order to balance their budgets,” said Maria Bautista, Campaigns Director at the Alliance for Quality Education. “As we approach the last three weeks of NYS budget negotiations, it is clear who has and has not been a leader in securing full funding for our public schools. Assemblymember DenDekker has not been an outspoken advocate on education in Albany. Every year the state doesn't fully fund our schools, our children pay the price."
“I strongly support public schools getting the money they are owed. We must take action to reverse our state’s nation-leading income inequality, which trickles down to our kids,” said Make the Road Action Member Flaviana Linares. “I am here supporting Jessica González-Rojas and her bold progressive education plan because we need someone that will step up in Albany and make the right decisions to ensure all of our children get a great education.”
"Jessica believes in the potential of every child and every person to achieve their goals, but she also understands the realities of today’s broken system: too many children don’t have the opportunities, access to the same resources, and parents are struggling to pay for childcare, afterschool programming, and access to programs that are critically to our children’s ability to thrive, like special education and dual language learning," said Diana Limongi, parent advocate for School District 30.
As the next State Assembly Member for the 34th District, Jessica González-Rojas will work to:
CREATE A CHILDCARE FOR ALL PROGRAM AND EXPAND 3K FOR ALL
Childcare is prohibitively expensive for too many working families and often forces families to make impossible choices. Access to infant care is extraordinarily difficult for working parents; not only is the average annual cost for infant care is $21,000 in New York City, the current availability of childcare centers in NYC only has capacity to accept 6% of the city’s infants.
We must advocate for and pass the “NYC Under 3” bill, which aims to make childcare affordable for families that up to $100,000. The plan also dedicates funding for childcare start-up and expansion grants and makes a capital commitment of $500 million over five years to construct and renovate childcare facilities–and create a higher quality childcare system through funding, educational training, professional development, and scholarships.
Recently, New York implemented Pre-K for all in New York City for four-year old children, and is expanding its 3-K throughout the City. However, there is no 3K in any schools in the 34th Assembly District, leaving our families without childcare options for even longer. New York must commit $150 million to fully funding the implementation of Pre-K and 3K for all, as well as commit and invest in universal childcare by passing and eventually expanding the “NYC Under 3” bill.
MAKE DEEP INVESTMENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
We must make deep investments in special education and support for families with children with special needs. In speaking with parents in the 34th Assembly District, many are struggling with bureaucracy and red tape in order to ensure that their children are getting the resources they need to learn and thrive. We first need to ensure schools have staff and teachers that are trained to identify and address the needs of students with disabilities so that issues do not go unrecognized or ignored. We must ensure that the process that parents undergo to have their children evaluated and provided with the services that they need are streamlined. We must invest in programs, trained staff and specialized services that address the needs of students with special needs in their local schools, so that families are not forced to travel long distances or put their children on long bus rides to other boroughs to receive the services they need to thrive. Parents should not feel like it is nearly a full-time job to be their child’s advocate when they are faced with special needs.
EXPAND DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AT ALL LEVELS
We must further invest in public schools’ dual language programs. In a city that speaks over 150 languages, we should encourage the chance to learn a new language, as well as ensure language is not a barrier to a quality public education. In order to continue to grow these programs, we must invest in finding qualified teachers who are committed to the program and family engagement tools including interpretation services. In order to implement these programs successfully, the State must commit to fully funding our schools.
COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS
New York City public schools must offer comprehensive sex-ed, specifically ensuring that it is age-appropriate, medically accurate, culturally competent, and LGBTQ-affirming. Comprehensive sexuality education must be rooted within a framework of consent and healthy relationships. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives and it is critical that we are providing our students with the age-appropriate and evidence-based tools to make healthy decisions.
DEMAND NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVE THE MONEY THEY ARE OWED
In 2006, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity filed a lawsuit against the state of New York claiming that children did not have access to a quality education because of underfunding. The New York State Court of Appeals ruled in CFE’s favor and ordered that schools should receive $5.5 billion increase in funding between 2007-2011.
Nine years after that period was over, NYC schools have still not received all of that funding, making New York ranked 49th in the nation on equity in education spending. The 34th Assembly district is 88% people of color and 62% foreign-born, yet based on estimates by the Alliance for Quality Education, the schools within the 34th Assembly district are owed approximately $12.4 million dollars. Students of color and immigrant students already face overwhelming challenges in school, including language barriers between parents and teachers and cultural insensitivity and bias. Additionally, according to a report by Make the Road NY, “Where’s My Seat?”, immigrant communities are particularly affected by overcrowding in schools. In order for these issues to even begin to be addressed, our schools must receive the foundation aid money they are owed.
Jessica González-Rojas is running for the New York State Assembly to be a leader in building power for our community around the issues that most impact our lives. The 34th Assembly District, which encompasses Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside, is comprised of a population that is approximately 60% Latino and over 88% people of color. Representation matters. Jessica is a leader who understands the struggles of our community with the public school system and the needs of working class families for child care.
###