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As city schools brace for how budget cuts ordered by the mayor might impact teaching and learning all across the city in September, students, parents, and local leaders held another large protest at City Hall Monday opposing any school budget cuts. NY1's Michael Meenan filed the following report.All month, small protests and big ones have been held over the school budget cuts ordered by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Monday had both a small and large rally.
The first was held by Manhattan's P.S. 59 school kids and their parents protesting on the steps of the Department of Education.
"I'm too angry at these budget cuts to do nothing so we have to take action," said parent Diana O'Brien.
Around the corner, a crowd of hundreds attended a rally that even a sudden downpour could not cool off.
"We cannot turn the clock back! " said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. "We need funds in the school budgets so there are no cuts to children!"
Weingarten's organized rallies like this before. But Monday's was the first large one since Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's pushed to apply $63 million in state aid earmarked for struggling schools to the budget problem. Klein wants to spread that money around to all of the city's 1,500 schools so that budget cuts hit evenly.
If that doesn't happen, Klein says some schools, including some of the city's best, will suffer much higher cuts. This warning has only heated up the rhetoric.
"It's almost the haves against the have-nots," said City Comptroller Bill Thompson. "That's a mistake."
Some lawmakers say they will hold up the entire city budget, which is due June 30th, if a $400 million gap in the school system's projected $22 billion budget is not restored.
"There are a few of us who are ready to vote against the budget if all the cuts are not restored," said City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.
Students at one of the city's best high schools, Townsend Harris in Queens, say that these projected budget cuts are creating real havoc right now. With their principal having to do real planning for September and cutting back on Advanced Placement courses, which they say they need to get into good colleges.
"We're going to have no APs on our senior transcripts, no extra-curricular activities, like clubs," said worried student Maryam Azem.
A Staten Islander said AP classes being cut back at Susan Wagner High are jeopardizing his shot at the Ivy League.
"Doing well is just not a premium anymore," said student Daniel Victoria.
The head of the principals union said principals are being forced to make brutally tough decisions while budget makers drag their feet, and hold principals' budgets in limbo.
"All I hear is we're working, we're working on it," said Ernest Logan, president of the principals' union. "Our children can't afford to wait."
But until a budget is worked out -- it looks like waiting is what they'll have to do.
- Michael Meenan
