To: The New York State House, The New York State Senate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo
Support Schools in Preventing Tragedy
After the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy many are left feeling scared or angry because nothing could be done to prevent this. Stricter gun laws won't change the fact that kids with emotional and mental issues are going to grow into adults with the same or worse issues without the support and help they need from our schools or communities.
Schools once offered services to these students and were headed in the direction of raising a child together as a community. As more and more unfunded mandates have been put in place, less money has been available for these crucial student support services. State aid has been promised and never delivered, taking even more of the services from the students who need them most. Last year a 2% tax cap was implemented in NY state. This tax cap further reduces the local schools' ability to procure funding for basic educational programs, requiring further its to "non-essential" student services. Many school districts have to split school psychologists, have minimal counseling available, and school resource officers are becoming non-existent as school make difficult decisions to meet just the basic educational needs of students.
Further, the local social services once offered have also been drastically cut. Schools are able to direct parents to where help is available, but parents often find that there is no funding available for these services either leaving them with nowhere to turn. Our society is turning its back to these kids. I firmly believe in the mantra, it takes a village to raise a child. Sadly our villages don't have the necessary expertise or services to do so.
Now we face the fear caused by the tragedy in Conneticut. We demand that schools and communities be given the democratic right to choose their budget with the simple majority rule. Let each community across NY decide the services necessary to educate our children and prevent them from growing to become dangerous or threatening. Prevention and proactive measures will be far more successful in preventing violence than stricter gun laws. We believe schools are the community center of our villages and should be able to afford these services for children before it is too late. Repeal the NY state education tax cap.
Schools once offered services to these students and were headed in the direction of raising a child together as a community. As more and more unfunded mandates have been put in place, less money has been available for these crucial student support services. State aid has been promised and never delivered, taking even more of the services from the students who need them most. Last year a 2% tax cap was implemented in NY state. This tax cap further reduces the local schools' ability to procure funding for basic educational programs, requiring further its to "non-essential" student services. Many school districts have to split school psychologists, have minimal counseling available, and school resource officers are becoming non-existent as school make difficult decisions to meet just the basic educational needs of students.
Further, the local social services once offered have also been drastically cut. Schools are able to direct parents to where help is available, but parents often find that there is no funding available for these services either leaving them with nowhere to turn. Our society is turning its back to these kids. I firmly believe in the mantra, it takes a village to raise a child. Sadly our villages don't have the necessary expertise or services to do so.
Now we face the fear caused by the tragedy in Conneticut. We demand that schools and communities be given the democratic right to choose their budget with the simple majority rule. Let each community across NY decide the services necessary to educate our children and prevent them from growing to become dangerous or threatening. Prevention and proactive measures will be far more successful in preventing violence than stricter gun laws. We believe schools are the community center of our villages and should be able to afford these services for children before it is too late. Repeal the NY state education tax cap.
Why is this important?
Let your state representatives know that you support whole child education in our schools to prevent tragedies such as Sandy Hook Elementary. Give us the choice in deciding to raise our children as a village instead of preventing us from doing so with unyielding and unfair tax caps on education while more and more unfunded mandates rain down upon schools.