AMNY: Elected officials and public school advocates rallied Tuesday morning on the steps of Tweed Courthouse in lower Manhattan to protest federal cuts to NYC public school funding made in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” recently enacted into law.
The group included City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, City Council Members Rita Joseph (D-Brooklyn) and Eric Bottcher (D-Manhattan), and state Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn), and advocates representing the American Federation of Teachers, Make the Road New York, the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, New York Immigration Coalition, Advocates for Children, and United Way of New York City.
During the rally, speakers thanked Attorney General Letitia James for leading a nationwide coalition of 23 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration for the cuts to education. With the passage earlier this month of the reconciliation bill, the federal Department of Education froze an estimated $7 billion in funding appropriated by Congress for public schools across the country.
Lawmakers estimate that over $463 million of the funding was owed to New York City public schools.
“Every child, no matter where they live in the city, where their family comes from, or where their learning needs, deserves access to quality education,” said Joseph, the chair of the council’s Education Committee. “And the way we deliver that is a partnership between the city, state and federal government. Yet, instead, we have a Trump administration that has frozen billions in funding to school districts.”
On Friday, the Trump administration announced it would unfreeze some federal funds, which were designated for after-school and summer programming, English and adult learner classes, and teacher preparation courses. The freeze in education funds ruffled some Republican feathers as Congress considered the bill, which was opposed by all Democrats in the Senate and House.
“Let’s not be fooled, this is a direct, calculated assault on our children’s future and working families,” Joseph added. “This is a part of a larger plan to erase decades of civil rights protections, cut off access to public education for working class families, and strip away the very agency responsible for ensuring equity in our school system.”
Before moving to politics, Joseph worked as a teacher for over two decades.
