Resolution Fair Funding

The first of what may be many acts of community activism...\

Unanimous RESOLUTION of the PTA of Public School 166
To Oppose the DOE ‘Fair Funding’ Proposal
26 March 2006

Whereas Chancellor Klein has proposed a restructuring of the school system of
New York City called Fair Funding (FF), and whereas, after consideration and
deliberation, we have determined that FF is inequitable due to the weighting
factors and use of average salaries; will demotivate and drive principals from the
system due to inconsistent rules; has the probability of degrading substantially the
largest school system in the nation; and, has never before been tried, except on a
small scale; and whereas, having observed what we consider the Chancellor’s lack
of accountability due to:
1. The inability to distribute test data in a timely manner, and to understand
it’s uses;
2. The Chancellor’s failure to substantively improve test scores, or graduation
rates in the 5 years holding office;
3. The implementation of ‘37 1/2 minutes’ which has squandered resources,
made aferschool administration difficult, compromised students’ security,
and achieved no meaningful educational improvement;
4. The approximate 30% increase of class size in our school;
5. The mis-administration of the G&T program, both in the admissions policy
which needlessly separates families of qualified children, and through the
equalization of registers which degrades the character of the program;
6. The exodus of skilled principals, and DOE administrators with teaching
experience, and the substitution of the latter with consultants.
Therefore, the PTA of P. S. 166 resolves:
1. To opposed Fair Funding. The PTA expresses the belief that the tenets of
the FF are inimical to furthering the education of the students of New York City;
2. Individually, and through the office of the PTA President, to contact our
elected officials, specifically Gale Brewer, Scott Stringer, Danny O’Donnel,
Michael Bloomberg, to express our strong opposition to the FF;
3. Further, to demand, first and foremost, that the DOE implement for itself
measurable accountability;
4. Additionally, to consider using such resources as may be prudent, and
available, to oppose the FFP.