News

NEW YORK, NY May 21, 2008 —Schools Chancellor Joel Klein says he's going to ask Albany to change the law that restricts how state education money is distributed in New York. He wants to equally implement a 1.4% cut to all schools in stead of providing mandated money to lower performing schools.

REPORTER: Klein says the Department of Education has already made $200 million in administrative cuts, but it still faces a $99 million deficit which will be directly absorbed by all schools.

KLEIN: I don't want one school to absorb a large hit while another is getting additional dollars.

REPORTER: But a furious Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers union, says Klein's plan for cuts across the board will hurt lower performing schools that need more funding.

WEINGARTEN: We have to make sure that the kids who have been left behind aren't left behind anymore.

REPORTER: Weingarten says the Campaign for Fiscal Equity won a lawsuit on behalf of lower performing schools to ensure they got extra funding.