Alliance for Quality Education

One-house budget proposals are dropping any day now, and the window to win the investments New Yorkers need is closing fast.

Magazine style cover of Ken Griffin with dollar signs over his eyes, in front of a burning pile of cash. Headlines read: DOCS, DEPARTMENT OF CLASS SOLIDARITY HOW TO BLOW A BILLION A GIFT GUIDE BASED ON CITADEL BILLIONAIRE KEN GRIFFIN'S EXTRAVAGANT PURCHASES FOR HIMSELF CONSTITUTION? A BASQUIAT? PENTHOUSE? DINOSAUR!?!

Imagine Bernie Sanders' 5% billionaire wealth tax passes. People like hedge funder Ken Griffin, who fueled the crusade to close 50 Chicago public schools, will be tightening their belts.

So if you're looking for a gift to cheer him up, check out what the man defunding our schools already owns🧵

Since Mayor Mamdani was elected, Islamophobia has only gotten louder.

Families have been stretched past their limits by child care costs and instability that force impossible choices every single day.

One house budgets come out in under two weeks — make sure your electeds hear about your priorities from you before then!

actionnetwork.org/letters/befo...

Across New York, families and educators are navigating a climate of fear that is reshaping what daily life looks like for students. We see it in our communities, and we stand with those carrying that weight.

What does it take to win universal child care? Join us today for a national conversation that brings together organizers from across the country to connect our local and statewide fights, share hard-earned lessons, and situate our work in the broader political moment.

act.seiu.org/a/what-it-ta...

Congratulations to Jasmine and Ana María on your new leadership roles. Strong leadership in powerful places is shaping our city and state for the better. We’re cheering you on!

Over one million New Yorkers voted for an affordability agenda — now Albany needs to deliver. Join us on February 25 to demand they tax the rich and invest in what we need.

ourtime.nyc/albany

This week NYC testified at City Council hearings calling for an end to mayoral control + for a democratic school governance system that shares power with communities. Join us + Laila in pushing forward so decisions about our schools are not made quietly through the state budget behind closed doors.

Looking back at photos from last week, we are still feeling the energy of advocates who showed up loud, hopeful, and united for fully and equitably funded public schools and truly universal child care at AQE Advocacy Day. We could not be more grateful for each and every one of you.

Universal child care depends on a workforce that shows up every day. Passing this legislation is a choice to fund care by valuing the people who provide it and the families who depend on it.

Thanks to the many legislators championing these bills this session.

www.investinourny.org/2026agenda

Parents, educators, community! Check out this new toolkit from PACES (Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces) – it offers some thoughtful, well-researched resources for anyone concerned about the impact of AI in classrooms.

parentsforaicaution.com/human-center...

Governor Hochul’s executive budget address today set the stage for state budget negotiations. Upcoming one-house budgets from the State Legislature must go further to address the affordability crisis, fix structural inequities in school funding, + deliver on the promise of truly universal child care

America’s ongoing struggles around public education show how deeply learning shapes whose lives are protected and whose voices are heard. On Dr. King’s birthday, we honor what he understood education to do, cultivate critical awareness and our capacity to act and create together 🤎

Child care educators, this space is for you.

Join us on Sunday, Feb 1 for a conversation exclusively for child care educators. We want to about what it means for you to do this work right now and what is making it harder for you and your peers to stay in the field.

Register: bit.ly/1feb2026

@speakermenin.bsky.social please put #KidsOverPolitics by protecting the continuity and trust that Chair Joseph has worked so hard with our communities to cultivate.

@speakermenin.bsky.social as Black and brown communities in NYCPS are being terrorized by ICE, representation matters. We are committed to the leadership we currently have on education. Our public school system needs consistency and Chair Joseph provides that.

and under Chair Joseph’s leadership, NYC had averted a fiscal cliff for NYCPS, restoring over $700M in funding for education programs previously funded with expiring federal COVID dollars

@speakermenin.bsky.social where others have been silent + unwilling to listen, Chair Rita Joseph of @council.nyc.gov has time and again made space to listen to those most impacted by school policing, calling for more support staff instead of more $$$ for school cops to criminalize our kids!

In response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State – where public schools received little attention beyond some investment in math – we’re naming what it will actually take to achieve true universal child care in New York.

The child care and pre-K investments in #NYSOTS are welcome and meaningful, but universal child care won’t work without the workforce behind it. If the Governor and our state legislature is serious, we must #TaxTheRich and fund providers and educators for the long term.

Governor Hochul has acknowledged the need for childcare reform, but it MUST be universal.

That means protecting and caring for every child, family, and community, while paying providers a fair wage.

We love seeing education framed as a lifelong pursuit in her #NYSOTS, including free community college for essential careers. On K-12, and the learning that comes before it, we’re still waiting to hear the Governor’s plans to strengthen equity and opportunity for students across ALL zip codes

a black and white photo of a young boy with his hand on his chin . ALT: a black and white photo of a young boy with his hand on his chin .

The opening phone joke foreshadowed this #NYSOTS moment. The Governor lifts up early impacts of the bell-to-bell phone ban, but we're still out here waiting to hear what this year’s state budget will deliver for our public schools

The Governor turns to child care and affordability, naming it as one of the biggest obstacles she faced as a young parent. For many Black, brown, immigrant, and lower-income families, that obstacle hasn’t moved. These promises, from NYC to Buffalo, must become permanently funded systems for all.

The Governor says NY has managed its money well. As the first part of her #NYSOTS agenda turns to roads and infrastructure, we're looking forward to hearing more on permanent investments in public schools and TRULY universal child care. No short-term, band-aid fixes.

#NYSOTS is opening with some serious awards show vibes, even a joke about silencing phones at Speaker Heastie’s expense. Seems like some foreshadowing for what’s ahead on phones and digital devices in New York’s public schools in 2026 🧐

Today’s news reflect years of relentless work by us and our partners to make child care accessible to all families, especially Black, brown, and lower-income families, including expanding CCAP. There is still much more work to do, but today moves us closer to the future we’ve been dreaming of!

A new year and an exciting moment for NYC’s kids. We’re excited to work with Chancellor Kamar Samuels, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, + the whole new administration. When public schools and child care work as they ought to, families gain real security and kids can really learn. Congrats and onward, together!

A new year is a chance to build the future NY's kids are growing and learning into. Our 2026 priorities reflect what families statewide have been calling for, from universal child care to a higher quality public education for all of our young ones.

Hope to see you in Albany soon! linktr.ee/aqeny