On Aid, Class Size
School Unions Give Spitzer High Marks

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Governor Spitzer said much of what city education unions wanted to hear in his Jan. 3 State of the State speech. Now they are hoping his words will be followed by swift action.

GOVERNOR SPITZER: Preaching to the choir.

Several long-time union priorities, such as smaller classes and universal pre-kindergarten, were among the new Governor's barrage of proposals, and his speech emphasized increased spending on education. Other changes, including more charter schools and a longer workday, brought a more tepid response. But the unions said they were ready to work with him.

'First to Mention This'

"We applaud Governor Spitzer's commitment to education," said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. "He's the first Governor who's ever mentioned the need to lower class sizes in his State of the State. The issue now is getting the resources to make it happen."

Mr. Spitzer will not lay out specific spending proposals until his Jan. 31 budget speech, but last week he promised to commit more state resources to improve education. "The debate will no longer be about money, but about performance," he said.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: Now give us the resources.

Education unions, which supported the lawsuit that made the case that the state for decades had not given the city its fair share of education money, say they expect the policy shifts to be accompanied by an influx of cash. A November decision by the New York State Court of Appeals, in response to the lawsuit by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, required the state to give the city school system at least $1.93 billion annually in additional aid.

The November decision overturned two previous lower-court rulings which said the state's contribution to the city should increase by $4.7 to $5.63 billion per year, phased in over four years. During his campaign Mr. Spitzer said that he believed the city was entitled to between $4 and $6 billion in additional state funds.

'Need Follow-Through'

New York State United Teachers President Richard C. Iannuzzi said that his union was pleased with the speech. "We are looking for him to be able to follow through on resources," said Mr. Iannuzzi. "I'm working on the assumption that the numbers will be good enough."

GERI D. PALAST: Expects 'substantial investment.'

The head of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity also said she believed Mr. Spitzer would deliver.

"In terms of dollars, we are still feeling confident that he will come through with a substantial investment," said Geri D. Palast, executive director for the CFE.

Mayor Bloomberg has long argued that the city should not be required to spend more due to any settlement from the CFE lawsuit, but he reiterated last week that his administration has increased its education spending by $3.5 billion over the past five years.

The Mayor said he was encouraged by the Governor's comments on achieving educational results. "The answer here is not throwing money at any problem," said Mr. Bloomberg at a press conference after the Governor's speech. "It's demanding good government and making sure that you fund the programs that work and that you terminate the programs that don't work."

'Doing Our Share'

He added that the city had already committed to significantly increasing education spending over the next three years. "We're doing our share," he said.

Mr. Spitzer said the state would invest the additional money in programs "that have been proven to work." Two of his proposals - shrinking class size and making pre-kindergarten available to all 4-year-olds within the next four years - have long been top priorities for the UFT.

The Governor also called for increasing the number of charter schools, which Ms. Weingarten said she was open to "as long as there are reforms in the charter law protecting children who go to public schools from budget cuts and allowing Teachers to have a meaningful role - and an unfettered right to union representation."

Longer-Day Anxiety

One of Mr. Spitzer's proposals - lengthening the school day and year - has caused substantial concern among Teachers in the past. The UFT's 2005 contract caused widespread debate within the union primarily because it was the second consecutive pact that extended the school day.

It is not clear how the Governor would impose a longer school day and year, since those are usually collective bargaining issues, and Ms. Weingarten said she did not think that Mr. Spitzer was taking aim at the city with that proposal. "We've been there and done that. That's what the 37-1/2 minutes was about," said Ms. Weingarten, referring to the UFT's 2005 agreement creating an extra teaching period for the neediest students. "Why would you even consider additional time until there's an assessment to see if it's working?" She added that the best way to give students more contact time with Teachers was to lower class sizes.

Mr. Iannuzzi said that lengthening Teachers' work days is "a conversation Teachers are willing to have with the Governor," as long as the first priority is making sure the existing school day is being used as efficiently as possible with a focus on instruction rather than on discipline and administrative tasks.

CSA Reserves Judgment

The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators said it was waiting to see a more detailed plan before commenting on Mr. Spitzer's plans.

Mr. Spitzer also said he would form a Commission on Public Higher Education to "recommend a comprehensive policy for achieving academic excellence, ensuring access and contributing to the state's work force and economic development efforts."

"We are hopeful that the Commission will be productive " said Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen. "New York State has systematically starved higher education of funding. Nothing can be improved unless that is transformed."