As Catholic Americans, we embrace our religious and civic obligations to be advocates for all people, especially the most vulnerable among us. The Archdiocese of New York Department of Education interacts with federal, state and local governments to uphold the rights of all parents to provide for their children’s education and to ensure that educational resources and services are provided fairly and equitably to all students and teachers. Schools in the Archdiocese are impacted by a variety of legislative issues. Parents, teachers and parishioners are encouraged to learn about these issues and support our efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of public funds for the benefit of all children.
On the state level, issues that impact Catholic schools include:
- Full reimbursements for state-mandated services
- Education investment tax credits
- Full funding for academic intervention services
- Funding for health, safety and security
- Transportation funding
- Full-time nursing services
- Entry-level teacher support
- Teacher training resources
- Equal access to State and Federal Grants
In New York City, the Archdiocese advocates for these specific issues:
- Restore textbook funding and ensure that private school students receive the same amount of aid as public school students
- Include Pre-K and UPK students in the formula that determines if a school is provided with a nurse
- Continue to include Catholic schools in the city’s UPK expansion
- Ensure that Catholic schools receive their fair share of federal Title funds
Detailed information on legislative issues that affect our children, and how parents and friends can make their voices heard, is available at the New York State Catholic Conference website, www.nyscatholic.org. We encourage everyone to sign up for the Catholic Advocacy Network in order to stay connected and informed on legislative issues impacting Catholic education. To sign up, click here.