A few weeks ago, New York's schools averted major reductions in services when, in the face of a scheduled march for a million children by teachers, parents, unions, community school boards and students, the city "found" a way to cover a projected deficit of about $30 million. It was fortunate that a crisis was averted, but it was averted at great cost. Those involved in that struggle only a few weeks ago are weary and thus reluctant to renew their efforts; and the public, itself weary of hearing of crisis upon crisis, is sitting back in the hope that once again the money will be "found." It is this combination of weariness and wishful thinking, coupled with the irresponsible actions of the politicians in fiscal and educational matters, that threatens to destroy our city.
Unless state aid is increased and the city given increased taxing power, New York's schools will lose over 20,000 positions, 17,000 of which will be those of classroom teachers. This is no token staff reduction; almost one out of every three teachers would be discharged. These dismissals will cause great hardship to those involved, especially since they are not covered by unemployment insurance and will find it difficult to get other employment in today's job market. But while the suffering inflicted on jobless teachers cannot be ignored, it is the impact of the cuts on our schools and the children, which must be our first concern. Unless funds are provided, class sizes will jump from the present maximum of 34 to an intolerable 45. Since this increase would be in violation of the UFT contract, the Board of Education would be faced with the choice of a contract violation that would provoke an inevitable confrontation or a drastic curtailment of the number of hours of instruction for students -- also an impossible alternative. In addition to this, special programs for underachievers, non-English speaking students and intellectually gifted students; as well as evening, after school and summer programs would vanish.
The Issue is One of Survival
Each successive incident in the deterioration of city services results in an exodus of families who can afford to relocate. Their departure leaves the city in even worse financial shape. The disaster New York faces comes into starkest focus when the cuts in educational services are seen in the context of all the other cuts -- the loss of thousands of policemen, firemen and sanitation workers, along with youth agencies, anti-narcotics facilities, libraries, park services, hospitals. The question is no longer one of deterioration. It is one of survival.
Tired as we all are of the struggle to ward off crisis after crisis, we cannot sit this one out. The Mayor, the Governor and the legislators in Albany must hear from all of us, proclaiming with one voice that these cuts must not be made, that we are ready to support a progressive tax package to provide the revenue for our city's needs. Responsible state and local taxes would provide a better solution to our problems than would federal revenue-sharing. The tax dollars we raise here stay here, whereas for every eight dollars New York City contributes in federal taxes, it gets back only one dollar. Similarly, citizens of New York State get a better return from state taxes than from federal taxes, since the state gets back only eleven cents of every dollar sent to Washington.
Finally, it must be said that the crisis we have faced and are now facing make a mockery of the current talk of accountability and the restructuring of education. How can teachers or schools be held accountable for anything with 45 pupils in a class? How can we reform education while preoccupied with fighting off disastrous budget cuts?
If we are to have educational reform and a responsible program of accountability, we need more than a solution to this immediate crisis. We need a long-term commitment of funds from federal, state and city government so that educators, parents and community groups can devote themselves to school improvement instead of the unrelenting battle to hold on to what they already have.