New York, NY – In response to Mayor Adams and the City Council restoring $514 million in previously cut school funding to the Department of Education, Theodore Moore, ALIGN’s Executive Director, released the following statement:
“Mayor Adams’ partial restoration of education funds in the NYC budget is the right step forward, but it is not enough to address the scope of the crisis students, teachers, and parents are facing. The City must commit to restore all proposed budget cuts and the Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEGs) for education, including those to pre-K and 3K,” said Theodore Moore, ALIGN Executive Director, “In addition, the Mayor and City Council must consider the detrimental effects of the climate crisis on student health, performance, engagement, and attendance. We’re calling on the Mayor to fully restore cuts to the Department of Citywide and Administrative Services for energy conservation projects and invest $600M in the FY2025 budget — to electrify and upgrade 500 school buildings by 2030 and reach a net zero emissions school district by 2040. The climate crisis is also an education issue, and Mayor Adam’s executive budget should reflect that.”
About ALIGN
ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all. Read more about ALIGN’s 2024 Labor & Climate Agenda.