By WINNIE HU, October 11, The new York Times
New York State already outspends the rest of the nation on education, and a group of education experts at Teachers College at Columbia University is calling for it to spend even more.
At a conference on Tuesday, the Campaign for Educational Equity, an institute of the college, will make the case that the state, which spends an average of $18,126 annually per student, should also pay for an array of support services outside the classroom that would cost an additional $4,750 annually for every poor student, or millions more every year.
New York State already outspends the rest of the nation on education, and a group of education experts at Teachers College at Columbia University is calling for it to spend even more.
At a conference on Tuesday, the Campaign for Educational Equity, an institute of the college, will make the case that the state, which spends an average of $18,126 annually per student, should also pay for an array of support services outside the classroom that would cost an additional $4,750 annually for every poor student, or millions more every year.
“This is not going the cheap way,” said Michael A. Rebell, an education professor and lawyer who is executive director of the Campaign for Educational Equity. “What we’re saying is, if we’re really serious about overcoming the achievement gap, students need these services to have a meaningful opportunity.”
While some educators have long supported such services for the poor, the governor and State Legislature would have to approve the increased education spending as part of the state’s budget — something that is unlikely given the tough fiscal times, according to some lawmakers, aides and lobbyists.
“We’re always trying to strike a balance between protecting taxpayers and investing in shared priorities like education,” said Scott Reif, a spokesman for the Senate majority leader, Dean G. Skelos, a Republican from Long Island. “However, the state is facing extraordinary fiscal challenges, including a $2 billion budget deficit next year that must be closed without raising taxes.”
Michael Whyland, a spokesman for the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said that while Mr. Silver recognized the needs of poor students, he believed that the first step should be to increase overall education spending for poor districts rather than to focus on separate spending for support services outside the classroom.
In papers to be presented at Tuesday’s conference, Professor Rebell lays out the result of a five-year effort to determine the cost of providing the extra services to all poor students. Professor Rebell previously led the Campaign for Fiscal Equity’s lawsuit against New York State, which brought billions of additional dollars for poor school districts.
Starting with prenatal care for mothers, the campaign’s recommendation counts on 18 years of services — through high school graduation — that include extensive early child care and after-school and summer programs. It arrived at a total average cost per year of $13,900 a student. But after deducting current spending for these services and assuming that not all services would be used, among other factors, it came up with a total net cost of $4,750.
Acknowledging the state’s economic challenges, Professor Rebell suggested that the state could initially offer some services to poor students with money raised through bond sales to private investors and foundations, and then phase in all the services as the economy improved.
Moreover, Professor Rebell said that he would like to see services extended to poor children elsewhere. Nationally, he said, the cost would be $4,230 more annually for every poor student. In New York City, because of higher costs, it would be $5,327
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