Senator Adriano Espaillat KidsPAC Questionnaire Response 2014

1) What is your position of the city being obligated to pay rent for charter, or give them
public school space for free?

After provisions impacting charter funding were inserted into the 2014 Education, Labor, and
Family Assistance (ELFA) budget by the Senate Republicans, I joined majority of Democratic
Conference in attempting a hostile amendment to remove the charter language from the bill.

Doing so would have prevented a simultaneous vote on charter and universal pre-kindergarten
funding; allow an unobstructed vote on securing New York Citys historic $300 million UPK
expansion.

Despite the clear relevance of this amendment to budget bill S.6356-D, this hostile amendment
was deemed not germane, and a vote to overrule this decision was unsuccessful.

2) What is your position on the common core standards?

Common Cores implementation has been disastrous on many fronts: from poor-quality Spanish
language materials, to inadequate community outreach and explanation, to the insufficient
training that was provided to teachers and educators.

I have supported a moratorium on the use of Common Core assessments until our community is
satisfied it has been given proper resources for this transition. I have also specifically raised the
quality of non-English language materials issue with SED.

3) What do you think about the current testing regime?

This year, I staunchly supported of the successful push to reign in the rising and excessive
amount of standardized testing that New York kids are subjected to, which interrupts classroom
learning, by banning testing in grades kindergarten through second grade.

Excessive testing has created needless, counterproductive stress for students, parents and
educators. It has increased teacher turnover and burnout rates, as passionate educators grapple
with a shortsighted focus on testing cuts into the learning experience. Many tests impacting
students future have also heightened the achievement gap and education inequality for low-
income students from communities of color whose families cannot afford private tutoring and
other supplemental resources.

4) What is your position about the teacher evaluation system?

I have strong reservations over the use of test scores for assessment purposes that do not take
into account student composition, including English Language Learners, and student requiring
Individual Learning Plans. Doing so encourages schools to game the system, and focus on
securing preferred students instead of ensuring all students needs are addressed.

In particular, I have continually cited the disproportionally small enrollment ELLs in New York
City charter schools as a problem that must be addressed; have stated that until this enrollment
gap is closed, their effectiveness cannot be fairly measured.

I support a variety of assessment methods but I strongly value peer assessment, and the
evaluations performed by professional educators. I am proud to have the support of the United
Federation of Teachers in this campaign, and I will continue to work with them to fight for
appropriate assessment standards that do not penalize teachers for taking on the challenge of
providing an urban education in difficult circumstances.

5) What are your views on campaign funding?

I have been an outspoken advocate for campaign finance reform that includes a matching funds
system and eliminates the multiple LLC loophole that has empowered special interests;
particularly the real estate industry at tenants and the general publics expense. I support a broad
range of reforms, including maximum contribution limits, and eliminating the current unlimited


6) What is your position on CFE and equitable funding?

I am proud to have served as a plaintiff in the CFE lawsuit, after filing an amicus brief in support
of correcting the longstanding funding imbalance faced by New York City schools.

While we have prevailed in court, multiple consecutives gubernatorial administrations have not
fulfilled the courts wishes; initial down payments made toward the CFEs resolution have been
undone by recession-driven cuts.

Securing the funding our children are owed has been a continuing passion that I have fought for
each year. As former Chair of the legislatures Black and Latino Caucus, I held an often-
fractious coalition together to delay budget agreements until additional education funding
concessions are made. In the Senate, I have repeatedly voted against education budgets that made
no effort to fulfill the covenant with our citys children.

As the states economy continues to recover, I am committed to ensuring education funding
remains at the top of the agenda. I will also be fighting hard for the $80 million in after-school
funding sought by Mayor de Blasio this year that was not allocated.


7) What is your position on raising the cap on charter schools?

Given that the number of authorized charter licenses within New York City currently exceeds the
number of actual charter schools, there is no demonstrated need for raising the charter school
cap.

Robert Jackson KidsPAC Questionnaire Response 2014

1) What is your position of the city being obligated to pay rent for charter, or give them
public school space for free?

When I walked 150 miles to Albany to build support for my Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE)
lawsuit to fix a broken New York State school funding formula that cheated our children, I did it
on behalf of all our students, so that our public resources are used to provide all students access
to high quality programs and prepare every child to earn their own way in life. With this policy,
Albany is once again inflicting an inequitable and unjust policy on our school children with its
budget mandates that support charter school growth at the expense of public schools. This
regulation has led to the decision to locate a Success Academy charter school at the former
Mother Cabrini High School. This action was taken with no public discussion and over the
pressing needs and long-standing overcrowding of Washington Heights, Inwood and Hamilton
Heights (District 6) students. It is not fair or just to have a tale of two publicly funded school
systems, where neighborhood parents and students needs are ignored for years and who live with
overcrowded and underfunded schools, while charter schools are guaranteed new space and are
fully supported in expanding at great expense to the taxpayer.

For years, families in this community, District 6 CEC members, and education advocates have
worked tirelessly and unsuccessfully to relieve overcrowding and poor classroom conditions and
to create much needed public school space in the district. Space is and has been urgently
needed to serve the community.

2) What is your position on the common core standards?

While I'm generally in support of common core standards, New York's implementation has been
terrible. Before the test go into effect, we must first get teachers the curriculum and materials
they need to help their students succeed.


3) What do you think about the current testing regime?

We must move away from the current emphasis high stakes testing and replace it with more
individualized assessment from a variety of sources. These tests raise anxiety among students
and force teachers to narrow their curricula and teach to the test. Too much time is allocated for
test prep which cuts back on time for in-depth projects and creative thinking. Rather than use
these flawed tests for teacher evaluations and school progress reports, tests should be used as a
learning tool for teachers to help them better understand their students.

4) What is your position about the teacher evaluation system?

I support the recent legislative agreement saying teachers rated ineffective based on state
Common Core tests this year or next will not face negative consequences. Teacher evaluation
should be geared to improving teaching and student outcomes, not based on student test scores
alone. We must move away from all these high stakes testing. The best evaluators are fellow
teachers who participate in a collaborative process of reviewing student work, improving lessons
and fine-tuning instruction. The measures of teacher success are well-educated students. We
must have a more broad-based measure of teacher effectiveness.

5) What are your views on campaign funding?

Big money has corrupted our government and we must fundamentally change the way we run
campaigns. Only by taking the money out can we start to win back the confidence and
involvement of the people. My five point plan includes: Establishing a public financing program
modeled on the successful New York City program; Setting sensible limits on contributions and
closing corporate subsidiary and LLC loopholes; Restricting fundraising during the legislative
session and instituting fixed limits on those doing business with the government; Increasing
reporting, transparency and enforcement; and Prohibiting the use of campaign funds for personal
or legal expenses.

6) What is your position on CFE and equitable funding?

As an original plaintiff in CFE lawsuit, I am absolutely in favor of this. Improving education
isnt only about money, but money is an important factor. It takes money to reduce class size,
hire more teachers and make sure that our children have the supplies and resources they need.
Its our obligation to provide every student the opportunity to a sound, basic education. For that
reason, I initiated the CFE suit and sued the state once again last year to prevent it from
withholding $250 million in the school evaluation conflict so our school children dont continue
to suffer because adults cant agree. And we are back in court on September 10th fighting for
equitable funding. I will go to Albany to make sure NYC gets the rest of the promised CFE
money.

7) What is your position on raising the cap on charter schools?

While I believe every parent should choose what is best for their child and am happy for any
child that gets a good education, we need to provide the opportunity for a quality education for
all 1.1 million children in the NYC public school system, not just the thousands who may attend
a charter school now or in the future. That means not favoring charter schools over traditional
public schools and preventing charters from having a negative impact on other schools. Contrary
to what proponents argue, theres little evidence that competition from charters has led to
improved performance in surrounding public schools and co-locations often are problematic and
create a profound imbalance for students under the same roof. When I walked 150 miles to
Albany, I did it on behalf of all our students, so that our public resources are used to provide the
best education for all. Charter schools alone do not address that need.