Education Advocates, Parents Protest Proposed Budget Cuts Video

Union leaders and education advocates testified Monday at the first of the State Senate Finance Committee's regional public hearings, saying the governor's proposed budget cuts would devastate city educational institutions.
The panel met at the U.S. Customs House in Lower Manhattan.

In an effort to close the state's $3 billion mid-year budget gap, Governor David Paterson has proposed a $5 billion cost-cutting plan over the next two years.

It calls for cuts of $1.3 billion to local assistance including transportation, social services, and healthcare. There would be a $480 million cut to educational aid, including $223 million for city schools.