Croton Advocates For Schools Stage Letter-Writing Campaign

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Croton-on-Hudson community advocacy group Croton Advocates for Public Education (C.A.P.E.) held a letter-writing rally at Croton-Harmon High School on March 26, to push for state aid to schools.

Croton-on-Hudson resident Barbara Williams spoke with Croton Advocates for Public Education (C.A.P.E.) member Earl DePass as she wrote letters advocating for public education to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials.
Photo Credit: *Croton Advocates for Public Education*

Jim Barg

04/01/2015 4:30 p.m.

The rally was intended to show Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other leaders in Albany the importance of funding education and 'let working schools work.'

The rally attracted a large range of local residents, including students, their parents, the Croton Teachers Association, administrators and community members.

C.A.P.E. sent around 1,500 letters to Albany, part of which read: “I call upon all our elected officials to oppose the ‘one-size-fits-all mentality and to let working schools work, while directing deeply needed attention to the schools that actually need help.”

“I object to all the testing and the time that is taken out of the classroom doing more creative and engaging activities to do more testing and test prep,” said attendee and parent Melissa Frey, who has children in eighth- and sixth-grade.

“Next month, the students will spend nine hours of taking tests after doing test prep," she added. Time could be spent so much more wisely.”

Eighth-grader Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School Student Government president, added, “I want to become a computer software engineer. But if we have budget cuts, they could take away the computer engineering class and prevent me from pursuing my dream.”

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