The Orthodox Union Advocacy Center expressed its appreciation for the sections of the New York State Executive Budget, released today by Governor Andrew Cuomo, that increase funding for education and are beneficial for the New York Jewish day school community.
Included in the governor’s budget is a fully-funded, optional universal pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program, which would make full-day pre-K available for any community throughout the state that wants it.
“We commend Governor Cuomo’s focus on education as a funding priority for the upcoming fiscal year. Pre-Kindergarten is recognized as an important factor in creating an early atmosphere of learning for children and for giving them a ‘leg up’ in their education. We hope the legislature will pass Gov. Cuomo’s UPK program, but also urge legislators to recognize that all children deserve a ‘leg up,’ regardless of whether they attend public or non-public school. OU Advocacy will work to ensure that all schools, including private and faith-based schools, are included in this legislation,” said Jeff Leb, NY Director of Political Affairs for OU Advocacy.
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The Orthodox Union is the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization; the OU Advocacy Center, formerly the Institute for Public Affairs, is the non-partisan public policy arm of the OU and leads its advocacy efforts in Washington, DC and state capitals.