In 2007, the Mayor of NYC and the City Council agreed to a $2.2 billion increase over a four-year period for educational funding to reverse what has been labeled as a chronic, multi-generation lack of funding for all NYC public schools. It was inclusive of the five boroughs of NYC and the Long Island community as well. However, on May 1st, 2008, the Mayor and the City Council in one of the most flagrant displays of backpeddling by city officials broke their promise to the kids and reversed $450 million of that budget.
The governor and the state legislature, despite facing huge budget deficits already, increased their educational commitments to the children when the state recently appropriated nearly $600 million in new education funds for NYC and Long Island schools despite opposition from various state officials.
A coalition of parents, educators, and elected officials from across the region gathered together in opposition of the $450 million in educational budget cuts that would see the elimination of various programs and services for the City’s schools. The coalition also announced plans of an advertising campaign wherein the Mayor and city officials would be urged to put the $450 million back into the education budget.
Various representatives of the “Keep the Promises” coalition are involved in the fight to leave the proposed educational budget where it originally stood before the Mayor and city council meddled in the affair. According to coalition officials, the ad campaign will do more than just ask the mayor and city officials to leave the budget as it had been originally laid out. Part of the advertising will hold the City accountable for not keeping their promise to the kids.
The overall appearance of the move made by the mayor and the city officials is that they have gone back on their word and reneged on their promise to the school kids by removing 20% of the original proposed budget. Taking away the funding will cause the elimination of necessary programs and services for school children. Schools with high needs, as well as those that are suffering academically, stand to be the ones that will be hurt the most by this budget cut.
The state capital in Albany kept its promise when they approved a $600 million addition to the budget for NYC schools, and despite the fact that Governor Pataki and the NYS Board of Education officials encountered some serious hear for this, they went ahead and approved the measure anyway.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The History of New York City
New York City’s vast history can be broken down into different eras: Lenape and New Netherlands, New Amsterdam, British and Revolution, Federal and early American, Tammany and Consolidation, Early 20th century, Post–World War II, and Modern and post-9/11. At the time when it was discovered by the European explorers, the land was inhabited by a small number of Lenape Indians. Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer who served the French, is credited with its discovery. In 1625 the Dutch began settlement of the land that is now Manhattan with their fur trading company; they named the area New Amsterdam. In 1626 Dutch General Peter Minuit purchased the land from the Lenape. The British conquered the city in 1664 and renamed it New York after the Duke of York?.
New York went on to prosper greatly under British rule. Many great institutions were founded at this time including Columbia University in lower Manhattan which was founded in 1754 by King George II. At the time it was known as King’s College. When the Revolutionary war began, New York became the battleground for many of its battles. After the war, George Washington was inaugurated as first president of the United States at Federal Hall on Wall Street. New York became the capital and remained so until 1790.
Many changes took place in the 1800s which would change New York City forever. For one thing, mass immigration occurred at this time as peoples from all over Europe flooded into America in order to seek its freedom. Another important change took form as the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which expanded the city to cover all of Manhattan. Another important change was the opening of the Erie Canal. This canal connected the Atlantic port to trade with the North American Interior. 1835 was a landmark year for the city as during this year New York surpassed Philadelphia as the Country’s largest city. Central Park was commissioned in 1857 and became what would be the first landscaped park in an American city.
During the 1900s New York City continued to grow as a mass migration of African Americans from the South took place. This brought on a period in Black History known as the Harlem Renaissance. In 1925 New York City became the most populated city in the entire world. The city only continued to grow after World War II as veterans and newcomers to the country created a housing boom which coincided with the economic boom that the rest of the country was having. While the city became a hotspot for crime in the 60s and 70s, the country has gone on to calm down as the economic health improved during the 1980s.
New York went on to prosper greatly under British rule. Many great institutions were founded at this time including Columbia University in lower Manhattan which was founded in 1754 by King George II. At the time it was known as King’s College. When the Revolutionary war began, New York became the battleground for many of its battles. After the war, George Washington was inaugurated as first president of the United States at Federal Hall on Wall Street. New York became the capital and remained so until 1790.
Many changes took place in the 1800s which would change New York City forever. For one thing, mass immigration occurred at this time as peoples from all over Europe flooded into America in order to seek its freedom. Another important change took form as the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which expanded the city to cover all of Manhattan. Another important change was the opening of the Erie Canal. This canal connected the Atlantic port to trade with the North American Interior. 1835 was a landmark year for the city as during this year New York surpassed Philadelphia as the Country’s largest city. Central Park was commissioned in 1857 and became what would be the first landscaped park in an American city.
During the 1900s New York City continued to grow as a mass migration of African Americans from the South took place. This brought on a period in Black History known as the Harlem Renaissance. In 1925 New York City became the most populated city in the entire world. The city only continued to grow after World War II as veterans and newcomers to the country created a housing boom which coincided with the economic boom that the rest of the country was having. While the city became a hotspot for crime in the 60s and 70s, the country has gone on to calm down as the economic health improved during the 1980s.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The History of New York State
New York State’s fascinating history begins with English explorer for the Dutch, Henry Hudson, who claimed the area of land which would be called New Amsterdam. When the Dutch settled the Hudson River in 1613, they claimed the land between the Delaware and Connecticut rivers and they named it "New Netherlands.” This land was ruled by the Dutch West India Company from 1622 to 1649. It was during time that they were petitioned by settlers who resided in the land who asked that the land be ruled by the Dutch Government instead of the company. This brought a backlash against them and the company claimed that anyone who further pushed the issue would be severely punished.
The Duke of York purchased numerous islands of the North American Coastline in 1663 and among them was New York’s Long Island. This was followed the next year, by an army led by the Duke who took possession of New Amsterdam and renamed it New York, after himself. The Dutch would reclaim the land in 1673 and it remained under their rule until 1674 when the treaty of Westminster restored it to the English. On July 10 1776, a convention was held in White Plains, New York which framed the state’s constitution. It was officially adopted April 20, 1777.
This land had originally been settled by the 6 nations of Iroquois, a large population of which still resided in the area. Most of them were against American occupation and had fought alongside the British during the Revolutionary war. The Sullivan expedition, led by Major General John Sullivan, was sent to remove them from the land. Their expedition was extremely successful and many of the men were rewarded with land grants. In the period that followed New York State became a brewing pot for religious and alternative thinking. Sects such as the Seventh Day Adventists and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints were formed as well as experiments in communal living such as Oneida and Skaneateles.
In the Civil War period, New York’s infrastructure was improved upon with railroads which brought a large number of immigrants forming what was known as the ‘urban sprawl.’ Throughout the periods that would follow, the Progressive era, the Boom economy of the 1920s, the Great Depression, and World War II, New York remained the center for commerce and the arts as well as an epicenter for immigration.
The Duke of York purchased numerous islands of the North American Coastline in 1663 and among them was New York’s Long Island. This was followed the next year, by an army led by the Duke who took possession of New Amsterdam and renamed it New York, after himself. The Dutch would reclaim the land in 1673 and it remained under their rule until 1674 when the treaty of Westminster restored it to the English. On July 10 1776, a convention was held in White Plains, New York which framed the state’s constitution. It was officially adopted April 20, 1777.
This land had originally been settled by the 6 nations of Iroquois, a large population of which still resided in the area. Most of them were against American occupation and had fought alongside the British during the Revolutionary war. The Sullivan expedition, led by Major General John Sullivan, was sent to remove them from the land. Their expedition was extremely successful and many of the men were rewarded with land grants. In the period that followed New York State became a brewing pot for religious and alternative thinking. Sects such as the Seventh Day Adventists and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints were formed as well as experiments in communal living such as Oneida and Skaneateles.
In the Civil War period, New York’s infrastructure was improved upon with railroads which brought a large number of immigrants forming what was known as the ‘urban sprawl.’ Throughout the periods that would follow, the Progressive era, the Boom economy of the 1920s, the Great Depression, and World War II, New York remained the center for commerce and the arts as well as an epicenter for immigration.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The New York City Education System
The New York City school system contains more than a million students and is the largest in the United States of America. The school system was historically controlled by the New York City Board of Education; however, due to the poor reputation that the New York City schools possessed, when Mayor Bloomberg was elected he did away with the Board and took control of the system himself in a school governance agreement. One of the largest changes he made to the system was having separate school buildings built for students who had a history of poor behavior or criminal activity.
New York City’s public education system is derived from the magnet model and features a sordid number of specialized learning institutions through the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Students can specialize in a number of subjects such as: writing, technology, computers, international relations, communications, sports, and the arts. Current plans for the school system include opening over 50 secondary schools that will give parents and their children more opportunities when it comes to preparing for their future. In these schools, education will be personalized for each student who will then be able to concentrate on his or her particular range of study.
When it comes to colleges and universities, New York City has a large number of colleges and is the only city in the country to have a public college system. The City University of New York has open admissions and 20 campuses to choose from. It offers 8 liberal arts colleges, as well as colleges for study in medicine, law, and business. Of course, Public schools aren’t all New York has to offer. The state has over 20 private colleges and universities including New York University, the largest institution for secondary learning in the country. Other colleges include the Julliard School of music (the most prestigious college for music in the country) and Columbia University which specializes in Journalism.
Besides its many schools and colleges, New York offers a huge collection of libraries and research centers. The New York Public Library System is huge and contains 5 central libraries, 4 specialized research libraries, and about 80 branch facilities. Besides the city library chain, New York City contains more than 1000 other libraries which are operated by schools, museums, and private institutions. The city is a global player in the realm of research and development and receives massive funding to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars from the National Institute of Health.
New York City’s public education system is derived from the magnet model and features a sordid number of specialized learning institutions through the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Students can specialize in a number of subjects such as: writing, technology, computers, international relations, communications, sports, and the arts. Current plans for the school system include opening over 50 secondary schools that will give parents and their children more opportunities when it comes to preparing for their future. In these schools, education will be personalized for each student who will then be able to concentrate on his or her particular range of study.
When it comes to colleges and universities, New York City has a large number of colleges and is the only city in the country to have a public college system. The City University of New York has open admissions and 20 campuses to choose from. It offers 8 liberal arts colleges, as well as colleges for study in medicine, law, and business. Of course, Public schools aren’t all New York has to offer. The state has over 20 private colleges and universities including New York University, the largest institution for secondary learning in the country. Other colleges include the Julliard School of music (the most prestigious college for music in the country) and Columbia University which specializes in Journalism.
Besides its many schools and colleges, New York offers a huge collection of libraries and research centers. The New York Public Library System is huge and contains 5 central libraries, 4 specialized research libraries, and about 80 branch facilities. Besides the city library chain, New York City contains more than 1000 other libraries which are operated by schools, museums, and private institutions. The city is a global player in the realm of research and development and receives massive funding to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars from the National Institute of Health.
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