Assemblymen Byrne & Schmitt Call on NYSED to NOT Tie School District Funding to Controversial DEI Policy

With the NYS Legislative Session only weeks from starting and budget requests already beginning, Assemblyman Kevin Byrne and Assemblyman Colin Schmitt will be holding a press conference on Tuesday, December 21^st at 10 A.M. in front of the Putnam County Historic Court House to call on the NYS Education Department (NYSED) to scrap any effort to tie state financial assistance for school districts to the firmly recommended, but highly controversial “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Framework and Policy Statement.”

           Last week, Assemblymembers Byrne and Schmitt joined with their colleague, ranking member of the NYS Assembly Education Committee, Doug Smith, in writing a letter to NYSED Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa stressing the importance of respecting local control and their opposition to heavy-handed state mandates or  taxpayer funded incentives for the implementation of DEI.

           In their list of Budget and Legislative Priorities for the 2022-23 School Year, also released last week, the NYS Board of Regents included funding requests to support schools who adopt Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining framework.  http://www.nysed.gov/news/2021/board-regents-advance-comprehensive-21-billion-state-aid-request-and-budget-and

WHO:         Assemblyman Kevin Byrne                          

                    Assemblyman Colin Schmitt

                    Frank Del Campo: Former school administrator and former Putnam County Deputy County Executive and Carmel Town Supervisor

        Representatives from Moms for Liberty

        Various other county, local and school officials are invited and welcomed to participate

WHAT:       Press Conference to call against any state requirements or taxpayer funded incentives for  DEI in local school districts

WHEN:      Tuesday, December 21^st 10 A.M.

WHERE:   Outside Front Steps of Putnam County Courthouse,

                    40 Gleneida Ave, Carmel Hamlet, NY 10512

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Assemblyman Byrne represents NY’s 94^th Assembly District, which includes portions of Putnam and Westchester counties. Byrne is the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Health, and serves as chair of the Assembly Minority Program Committee.