Mourners line streets in protest by Carol Kinney
Herkimer high-school senior, Daniel Adamek, son of Lisa and Jason Adamek, led the funeral procession late Thursday morning. About 50 local dignitaries, teachers, students and community members gathered together in the park across from Herkimer Central School District’s Junior-Senior High school to pay their respects. The mourners waved signs that read “Fair Funding Now” and “RIP Herkimer CSD” and shouted “Hey, hey go home. Cuomo’s cuts have got to go!” RIP Herkimer CSD Mock Funeral is just one community event Herkimer High School students have been holding in recent months to protest what Student Council President Dan Adamek says is “New York State’s [and Governor Cuomo’s] blatant discrimination against poor school districts.” Adamek is passionate about this cause. He was the student speaker at a BOCES sponsored rally held on March 6 at HCCC, traveled to the state capital on March 12 to join students from across NYS to protest education budget cuts, and started Students for Fair Funding student advocacy program. The administration, board of education and teachers of Herkimer CSD support the students’ peaceful protests and moderate student interviews with the media. Mrs. Laura A. Scalise, Grade 12 Social Studies teacher at Herkimer CSD, says “this funeral is not about teachers’ salaries, it’s more about getting fair funding for school districts all across NY State for the kids and their education.” While the students waved their signs and encouraged passers-by to honk to support their cause Scalise handed out flyers stating the students’ concerns. Herkimer Junior-Senior High School Principal, Mary Tomaso is quoted on that flyer as saying “I don’t see how we can close our district’s projected budget gap without losing teachers . . . It’s a shame that the students of impoverished school districts like our get shafted in the state aid game.” In a media interview earlier this week, School Superintendant Robert Miller says at least five [teaching] positions will be either eliminated or reduced to part-time status for the coming 2014-2015 school year. Even though Adamek’s days are numbered attending Herkimer CSD, he is worried how the distribution of NY State education funding will continue to affect the students he leaves behind, including his sister McKenzie who is in 8th grade. After graduation in June, Adamek will attend Middlebury College in Vermont, the No. 4 ranked National Liberal Arts College, where he will study International and Global Studies, Middle Eastern Studies and French. He feels “particularly shorthanded” during high school and does not look forward to having to admit to his college classmates that his high school “only offers two Advanced Placement courses, no honors courses and [few] elective courses.” When asked if he will continue to be involved in this cause after graduation and moving out of Herkimer, Adamek answers “Absolutely.” The mock funeral came to a climax as Adamek called for “a moment of silence for our dying school.”
Silence ensued while the mourners paid respects to what they believe to be their dearly departed educational opportunities. Side Bar: According to the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES officials, Herkimer is just one of many schools statewide that is affected by the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) to state taxes. The GEA is a formula used by state officials to lessen the state’s budget deficit by basing educational funding in each school district upon median household income and median property value. Under the GEA, school districts with higher median income and property value receive more aid than those districts with lower median income and property value. If this were an assignment for a newspaper, magazine or web-based news source, I might also include pictures, links to local media film footage of the mock funeral and links to other sources of information such as: http://www.nyssba.org/clientuploads/nyssba_pdf/CapitalConference/Gap-EliminationAdjustment13.pdf http://www.p12.nysed.gov/stateaidworkgroup/2014-15RSAP/RSAP1415final.pdf http://fairfundingny.webs.com/ These are my email notes from an interview that I conducted with Dan Adamek: 1. Tell me all about how the event at the college came about. The event at the college came together both after a general consensus of frustration towards unfair funding policies in New York State, especially towards local schools, and the initiative of the Herkimer BOCES. The event was aimed specifically against the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). The GEA is a regressive policy that was implemented in 2009 by Gov. Paterson as a way to balance the budget. Although it did balance the budget, it did so on the backs of schoolchildren. New York State schools have two revenue sources - local taxes and state aid. In communities with high property tax bases, the aid given to them by state is a minute part of their overall budgets and the decrease in state aid does not adversely affect them. However, in communities like ours, the tax bases is extremely low. Therefore, our school budgets heavily depend on the state to follow through with its funding. Unfortunately, with the GEA in place, the state gives schools their foundation aid, but tells schools that they must pay back a large portion of it. The implementation of this policy is like going to get a job and having the employer tell you that you will be making $100,000 per year. When you receive your first paycheck, it is only for $50,000. You ask your boss why it is so low, and s/he responds that it is because the company you work for is must close their budget gap, thereby withholding a part of your paycheck. The next year, your employer tells the media
that you will be receiving more than last year - $70,000. Yes, it is an increase of $20,000 from the previous year. But, it’s not what you were promised, nor enough for you to sustain your lifestyle. Your employer still owes you $70,000 in the combined monies that it guaranteed you! The current climate of public education funding is causing schools in poorer areas to cut core programs, while schools in richer areas are expanding programs. This is inherently contributing to the sharp division between the lower and upper classes in the US.
2. Why would you, as a high school senior who is planning on attending school out of the area, be interested in how much aid NY public schools get? I care because the quality of education that students receive affects the surrounding communities. If a student is getting a poor education due to a lack of funding, the chances that they will drop out, become reliant on social services, go to prison, etc., increases dramatically. All people should be concerned. Our governor was elected on a platform that was seemingly pro-education, pro-working class. However, he continues to cater to millionaires and billionaires, along with their corporate interests (i.e., huge new tax breaks for the rich will be going into action this year).
3. Tell me about Students for Fair Funding-NY State. SFF-NY is a youth-founded, youth-driven organization fighting for a fairer system of funding to public education. We have observed that our government has seen education as an easy place to cut as children are less likely to resist austerity. We are telling our government otherwise. We are currently finishing up our lobbying campaign with state legislators. We, alongside other proeducation groups such as the Alliance for Quality Education, fought for a budget that increased education funding by $1.9 billion and eliminated the GEA. Unfortunately, it was only increased by $1.1 billion which will still leave schools with devastating cuts to make. For more information, visit FairFundingNY.webs.com. 4. Tell me about your trip to Albany. Tell me some things about the trip that I can’t get from the stuff that you have on your FB page. It was exciting the see nearly 1,000 schoolchildren standing for their right to a quality education. I spoke about my experience alongside the superintendent of the Schenectady City School District who is currently looking at having to eliminate kindergarten to meet their budget deficit. Kindergarten is not a mandated program in New York State. We delivered a petition with over 14,000 signatures that called upon Gov. Cuomo to fund public schools. Although during the week before he stood in sub-zero temperatures in NYC to defend privately-run
charter schools that steal money for public schools, he refused to come out of his office to accept a petition from students who represent the 97% of NYS children who attend public schools.
5. Will you continue to be involved in this once you leave for college? Absolutely. This is something that is near and dear to my heart. 6. Tell me something about yourself that most people do not know. Although I am not afraid of the backlash from my government fighting against institutionalized injustice, I am deathly afraid of geese. 7. Who or what inspired you to become involved with this issue? My grandpa was a 45-year police officer who always fought for justice. This is my way of living out his legacy. Other stuff: What do you plan on studying in college? Have you made a decision about where you will attend? I plan on attending Middlebury College where I will be studying International and Global Studies with a concentration on Middle Eastern Studies and a minor in French. What do you like to do in your spare time? I am a foodie and a culture junkie! What are all of the extracurricular activities that you are involved in? I am a president of my student council, president of language club, editor-in-chief of my yearbook, National Honor Society member, prospective Eagle Scout, and active in several other social and environmental justice groups. What's your favorite band, movie, tv show, food, etc. I like all types of music from Michael Franti & Spearhead and Dispatch to Keny Arkana and Tiken Jah Fakoly.