FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 2015

STATEMENT FROM ASSEMBLYMAN SEAN

RYAN ON THE NEW YORK STATE BUDGET

BUFFALO Today, April 1, 2015, New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan released the following

statement regarding the passage of the 2015-2016 state budget.

Assemblyman Sean Ryan said The Governors Executive Budget proposal was terrible for education in

New York. It shortchanged our schools, and proposed an unrealistic teacher evaluation plan that was an

unabashed attack on teachers. The proposal was totally unacceptable to the Assembly. We have spent

weeks fighting back and, for the past week, we have been pushing back around the clock. In the end, we

prevented the most damaging of his proposals, a plan to make teacher evaluations based fifty percent on

test scores. The bottom line is, we increased education aid by $1.6 billion, and included a restoration of

over $14 million for teacher resource centers. I could not in good faith vote against such a huge and

necessary increase for our struggling school districts. My mother is a retired teacher, and I know what a

critical role teachers play in our education system. Thanks to the advocacy of teachers around the state

with meetings and rallies, we were able to send a strong message to the Governor and prevent the worst of

his devastating education agenda. I thank teachers in Western New York for their continued and steadfast

advocacy.

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Assemblyman Sean Ryan represents New York's 149th Assembly District, which includes portions of the

Cities of Buffalo and Lackawanna, the Town of Hamburg and the Villages of Hamburg and Blasdell. For

more information, please contact Assemblyman Ryans Buffalo office at 716.885.9630.

ASSEMBLYMAN SEAN RYAN

New Yorks 149

th Assembly District

tel:716.885.9630