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NY Court Rules that Society Needs Workers for Low-Pay Jobs
A state appeals court yesterday threw out a judge's finding that NY State has been cheating city kids out of billions of dollars in public-school funding, ruling students are entitled only to a ninth-grade-level education.

In a 4-1 decision, the state Appellate Division found a "sound basic education" doesn't mean high-school kids have to be able to learn enough to move on to college or get "living wage" jobs - they only have to know enough to get minimum-wage work and serve jury duty.

The ruling overturns Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Leland DeGrasse's landmark decision last year in favor of a coalition of parents and teachers who charged the state funding system was depriving city school kids of their right to a basic education.
DeGrasse agreed with the Campaign for Fiscal Equity's argument that the schools were in "abysmal" shape and ordered numerous statewide reforms ensuring "sufficient numbers of qualified teachers," reduced class sizes, up-to-date books and educational technology, and "a safe, orderly environment" for kids to study in.
The Appellate Division ruling found DeGrasse's goal was "laudable" but that he was ordering standards that are too high. . . . Gov. Pataki said he was "pleased" with the decision and noted that he's already increased education funding. He said he'd "continue to work" to ensure every child in the state "is getting a first-rate education." . . .
The 40-page Appellate decision was written by Justice Alfred Lerner, a Pataki appointee, and overturned DeGrasse's finding that school should prepare children for "competitive employment," instead of just "low-level jobs paying the minimum wage."
"Society needs workers in all levels of jobs, the majority of which may very well be low-level," Lerner wrote. "The evidence at trial established that the skills required to enable a person to obtain employment, vote and serve on a jury are imparted between grades eight and nine."

— Kenneth Lovett, Carl Campanile, & Dareh Gregorian
9th Grade Good Enough for City Kids, Court Says
New York Post
June 26, 2002
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/51274.htm

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