A group of parents, teachers and other education advocates held a rally outside the Massapequa offices of the Long Island Progressive Coalition Wednesday to kick off a bus trip to Albany where they joined in a statewide demonstration.
A group of about three dozen gathered outside the bus holding up signs calling on governor Cuomo and state lawmakers to reinvest in education.
"It's really important that we are out there getting ahead of the [school] budget proposals," said LIPC's Danielle Asher explaining why the group was headed to the state capital to join with other groups from around the state as part of the Educate NY Now campaign.
The group is calling for the removal of caps on state education aid and the state's new property tax cap.
"The cap in state aid and property taxes combined are not an intelligent solution to a problem," said Richard Haas a teacher in the Half Hollow Hills school District, who addressed the rally.
"In fact, the problem our elected leaders have created are in their work is far greater than any they may have alleviated."
Haas said that education policy can have long term and far reaching effects in the future.
"To put it simply, if you starve our kids today, they will starve you back tomorrow," he said.
The group is also pushing for full day Kindergarten and pre-school throughout the state.
LIPC said they will plan further demonstrations once the legislature reconvenes next month.
