Assemblywoman Jenne pledges to continue to fight for equitable funding for North Country school districts

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne assured school superintendents and school board members she will continue her nearly decade-long fight for rural schools during this year's annual budget battle over school aid funding.

Assemblywoman Jenne made her pledge at the annual legislative priorities meeting hosted by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES. She was joined at the session by State Senator Joseph Griifo, Assemblyman Marc Butler and Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush.

"The governor's proposed school aid for this year is devastating for most North Country school districts. Last year's funding got our school districts back to the stabilization point, but we still have not fully recovered from the hits our school districts took during the recession," she said.

"I will continue to advocate that the poorest districts in the state continue to receive additional funding so they can meet the needs of their students. We know our school districts are still not receiving the aid they are due - the state still owes over $4 billion in foundation aid to its poorest districts, but the governor's budget proposal goes in the opposite direction," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

The school aid numbers included in the executive budget have raised concerns for several superintendents in the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES component districts. Two superintendents told the lawmakers their districts were still underfunded by more than $2 million under the governor's state aid proposals.

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Superintendent Thomas Burns said North Country school officials need a fairer, more equitable aid formula and adequate funding for high-needs, low-wealth students.

BOCES officials charged the poverty measures currently used in the state aid formula are inherently flawed and called on state lawmakers to alter sharing ratios to create greater equity among the districts.

They also expressed serious reservations over a proposal in the executive budget that would cap foundation aid at its current level. North Country school districts have benefited from foundation aid, the result of a court decision a decade ago that ruled the state was underfunding its poorest school districts.

Foundation aid has included poverty rates and other factors into the state aid formula in an effort to ensure low-wealth school districts are provided with the funding necessary to provide students with a sound basic education. The Alliance for Quality Education has charged there is a $10,000 per pupil funding gap - second highest in the nation - between the state's richest and poorest school districts.

' ... we need the legislature to set aside the governor's language, which would effectively end foundation aid, "Mr. Burns told the state lawmakers. "Although foundation aid has not been fully funded since 2008-09, it is a policy worth protecting and has benefitted poorer rural districts in the North Country since its inception."

Assemblywoman Jenne assured school leaders they had an ally in that fight.

"Education is one of the biggest issues I have fought for since first elected to the state Assembly. We deserve the same amount of funding per student as is provided for students in wealth downstate districts," she said.

"The governor likes to create these scenarios for education funding in his executive budget and then the state legislature has to buy back programs we support during the budget negotiations," Assemblywoman Jenne noted.

Among the items on the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES priority list for 2017:

• Use an income wealth index, rather than combined wealth index. Enhance the weight of free and reduced lunch to the aid formula and re-set the income wealth index floor to 0 from its current level of 0.65 in the current budget. Several North Country school districts have numbers well below that arbitrary floor. Many North Country school districts, including those with large amounts of waterfront property, are land rich and income poor.

• Make simple, common sense reforms to the tax cap. The current 2 percent tax cap is misleading as the consumer price index will be less than 2 percent again, resulting in a project 0.1 percent allowable tax levy growth factor.

School superintendents said the tax cap has created a disadvantage for the state's poorest districts, forcing them to rely on state aid to fill funding gaps. They are calling on the state to grant an option to districts to increase their tax levy by the 2 percent cap or the current consumer price index, whichever is higher. They are also calling for the state to include properties covered by payments in lieu of taxes agreements to be included in the formula's tax base growth factor.

Other priorities include exempting BOCES capital projects from the tax cap, increasing aidable salary for career and technical education teachers from an aid formula dated back to 1990 and protecting the save harmless clause in state aid until a more permanent solution can be found.

Assemblywoman Jenne, sharing a view voiced by her fellow lawmakers at the session, acknowledged it will likely be a contentious budget season in Albany this year.

IN THE PHOTOS:

TOP PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with Madrid-Waddington School Superintendent Eric Burke (left) and Edwards-Knox School Superintendent Ronald Burke following a session that gave school officials from around St. Lawrence County an opportunity to share their concerns about the 2017-18 state budget with state lawmakers.

BOTTOM PHOTOS:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne makes a point during a recent legislative priorities information session at the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES facility in Canton. Pictured are (l-r): St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES District Superintendent Thomas R. Burns, State Senator Joseph Griffo, Assemblyman Marc Butler, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush and Assemblywoman Jenne.

Matthew O'Bryan, president of the Madrid-Waddington Central School Board of Education, shares a concern with Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne following a recent meeting in Canton that provided state lawmakers and school leaders from around St. Lawrence County an opportunity to discuss the 2017-18 state budget.

Canton, Potsdam high school students share experiences from March on Washington with Assemblywoman Jenne

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne recently had an opportunity to listen to the experiences of a group of high school students from Potsdam and Canton high schools that travelled to Washington, D.C., for the women's march last month.

The assemblywoman, who had given the opening address at a sister rally in Watertown that same day, said she wanted to hear about the experience from the young women who made the journey as well as to thank them for getting involved in public policy discussions.

"I wanted to show my support for the young women willing to get involved in the public dialogue. It was very impressive talking to these young women showing maturity beyond their years and seeing how passionate they are about being involved and standing up for what they believe," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

"It's great they feel a sense of responsibility for their community and their country. One positive that is coming out of the current divisive political climate in our country is young people are feeling the need to get involved," she said.

The trip was organized by Potsdam High School senior Jillian Todd as part of her Capstone Project. The students and three chaperones made the trek to Washington, D.C., for the rally held on the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated as the country's 45th president.

"I planned this trip because my own moral compass did not allow me to sit silently after hearing the rhetoric used in this past election season. I knew there were countless other high school girls who felt the same way, so I wanted to give a few of them an opportunity to be part of the action. I feel that civic engagement in students is incredibly important as our futures will be affected by what happens right now," Ms. Todd said.

A fundraising campaign raised enough money to pay the cost of the trip for all of the student participants. A Go Fund Me page, for example, surpassed its goal of $2,025. A volleyball tournament was also held as a fundraiser for the event.

The students joined two busloads of adults from St. Lawrence County that travelled to the nation's capital for the event. Ms. Todd collaborated with members of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Canton to arrange transportation for her group.

Tammara Madeja, one of the chaperones on the trip, said the young women inspired other members of the St. Lawrence County group that travelled to Washington, D.C., and received strong support from a number of people who were unable to trip, including her own mother.

She noted her mother, an octogenarian, was devastated when Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election.

"She was thrilled to have been alive for the election of our country's first African-American president and thought she was going to get to see our country's first female president. She was devastated when that didn't happen. She lives on a tight fixed income, but she made a donation to the girls," Ms. Madeja noted.

One of the students said a family friend had stopped by her house with a $50 donation and thanked her for marching for her daughter.

Students said they have received mixed reactions from their classmates about taking part in the march.

"There were so many different ways people viewed it. Some people were really excited they were there, but there were also some people who were disappointed we went," Canton High School student Grace Bessette said.

Fellow Canton High School student Mary Chisholm said some people viewed the event as being an anti-Trump rally, but she said that was not the case. "It was pro-women, not anti-Trump," she stressed.

"It was just for basic rights," Ms. Bessette added.

Ms. Chisholm said she was also impressed by the number of men that joined the march. "It was nice to see. It was everything from high school boys to older men," she pointed out.

The students said they still are flooded with memories from the day of the rally - the sea of people; the signs; the speakers; the unity of people from different regions of the country, different faiths and different ethnic backgrounds.

The young women from Canton and Potsdam arrived at the National Mall early so they were able to stand near the stage and heard the speeches and followed the event on the Jumbotrons. They were on their feet for eight hours, but they said the group from the UU church arrived just an hour later and the crowd had already grown so large by that time they were unable to hear the speeches.

They said they had an opportunity to listen to the stories of other people who had travelled to Washington for the event and were moved when the crowd sang "This Land is Your Land," with the chorus of voices so loud and coming from the mall as well as well as from behind other buildings in the area.

"It is still so amazing to just have been there," Ms Bessette said.

Assemblywoman Jenne praised the young women for their community involvement and pointed out improvements in basic human rights in this country and around the world haven't come without a fight.

"There have been so many people fighting this fight for decades, and they are getting tired. Their fight was not for them. It was for future generations, for you. They've made strides, but it's time for reinforcements," she suggested.

She said the next generation now needs to step forward and have their voices heard.

"Keep doing what you just did. Get involved. Do something when you get in college. It sends an important message to those in power," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

The assemblywoman said she grew up hearing about victories for womens rights including the ruling from the early 1970's that prohibits gender discrimination at schools. It led to the rise of women's sports at the high school and college level.

"My mom, when she was a senior, they finally got uniforms, got to take a bus to games instead of piling in the back of their gym teacher's station wagon. Things started to change," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

The former high school three-sport athlete said lessons learned on the field, in the gym and on the ice are important lessons in life.

"We're tough, physically active, engaging in a team concept, reaching high accomplishments as a team. We've socialized ourselves to want to win," she added.

Assemblywoman Jenne said she feels Title IX was one of the major accomplishments of the 20th Century for women in the United States.

"We are able to organizes ourselves as women on a team, create bonds and friendships with other women working as a team. We have to draw on each other. You have learned how to do that in sports. We can't afford to be divided and conquered. We have to stay strong and be there for each other," she noted.

Ms. Todd said she felt Assemblywoman Jenne's visit was a valuable opportunity for the students who took part in the march on Washington to interact with an elected official serving in the state legislature.

"I am so glad we had the opportunity to connect with Assemblywoman Jenne. The other students and I are thankful for her eager attitude and words of wisdom. It was nice to get a little insight about what we can do to make a difference in the future," according to the Potsdam High School senior.

"The march sparked something in all of us, and I believe connecting with individuals in government office is one of many great ways to keep that flame burning," Ms. Todd said.
Assemblywoman Jenne said she also benefited from having an opportunity to listen to the passion shared by the young women from Potsdam and Canton high schools.

"I'm so proud of you ladies. You are kicking off one of the most important parts of your lives.
You can hold your heads high. You guys are going to rock and roll and change the world. You have to be engaged and involved, even if you don't get into politics. You have to show that we have to care about other people," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

IN THE PHOTOS:

TOP PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne recently stopped at Potsdam High School to listen to the experiences of young women from Potsdam and Canton that recently travelled to Washington, D.C., for the women's march. Pictured clockwise from the top right are Jillian Todd, Assemblywoman Jenne, Emma Kroll, Madison Gray, Emma Bentley-Hicks, Mary Chisholm and Grace Bessette.

BOTTOM RIGHT:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne shared information about upcoming legislation that will be voted on in the New York State Assembly dealing with issues that were one of the major areas of concern that led to the women's march in late January in Washington, D.C. Pictured are (l-r): Jillian Todd, Assemblywoman Jenne, Valerie Chiarenzelli and Tammara Madeja. Ms. Chiarenzelli, Ms. Madeja and April Barnes were the school chaperones for the trip.

Several students from Canton and Potsdam high schools and the trip's chaperones posed for a photograph with Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne after sharing their experiences from their recent  trip to Washington, D.C., for the women's march. Pictured are (l-r): Tammara Madeja, Emma Bentley-Hicks, Grace Bessette, Mary Chisolm, Jillian Todd, Madison Gray, Emma Kroll and Valerie Chiarenzelli. Missing from photo: chaperone April Barnes and students Lauryn Knowlden, Lindsey Knowlden, Ellie Schonberg and Lauren Lucht.

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne talks about the importance of Title IX in providing young women an opportunity to play high school sports during a recent visit with students from Potsdam and Canton that too part in the recent women's march on Washington, D.C. Pictured clockwise (l-r) are student trip organizer Jillian Todd, Assemblywoman Jenne, chaperones Tammara Madeja and Valerie Chiarenzelli and students Emma Kroll and Madison Gray.

Students from Potsdam and Canton high schools were joined by women from around the country when they stopped to take a photo next to a statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of the Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

Assemblywoman Jenne: Immigration legislation protects our principles without harming our security

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne has submitted a letter to the editors of local newspapers on immigration legislation passed Monday by the New York State Assembly.

To The Editor:

Two weeks ago our immigration system was thrown into chaos by an executive order that was poorly written, unreviewed by people with relevant policy experience, and potentially damaging to our nation - including to our own neck of the woods here in the North Country. 

I represent communities from Watertown to Massena that are home to top-notch colleges and universities, hospitals, manufacturing hubs, and to thousands of men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. The North Country is also known worldwide for its tourism attractions and we can hear languages from every corner of the Earth spoken in our restaurants, on our river cruise ships, in our museums, and in our parks. 

Living on the international border with Canada means we know better than most that border security must be a priority. But a poorly written and executed executive order threatens to sacrifice our core, American values in the name of a false sense of security.

This country has been made stronger by immigrants and by refugees looking for a place to call home - like my own ancestors who fled religious persecution in Europe on the Mayflower. 

There are 320 students from the seven countries listed in the ban currently studying at SUNY schools here in New York. At least 30 students impacted by the ban are studying at Clarkson. Nearly 8,000 doctors who were born in Iran or Syria practice medicine in America.

In fact, I am concerned that the immigration ban signed two weeks ago casts a must larger net than even intended by hinting that immigrants generally are not welcome in America. I have already heard concerns from foreign-born residents right here in the North Country who are worried about international travel in the wake of this executive order. Besides being a breach of the American ideals that have made us an example of human rights internationally, the immigration ban damages us economically and intellectually.

As the editors of the Watertown Daily Times said, it is up to each of us to ensure the executive branch does not overstep its constitutional authority. 

When Afghans and Iraqis who put their lives on the line for our troops serving overseas by acting as battlefield translators are turned away at our borders, despite veterans advocating on their behalf, the executive is overstepping. 

When academics and entrepreneurs are afraid of traveling, despite posing no risk to American lives, the executive is overstepping. And when refugees who have already gone through 18 months of close vetting are sent back to dangerous situations, the executive is overstepping. 

This week I supported legislation in the state Assembly that will ensure our national character is protected - at least in New York - without sacrificing our national defense. I will continue to work with my colleagues at the local, state, and national level to ensure our border security is strong, but that our founding principles are not eroded.

Addie A.E. Jenne
116th Assembly District
New York State Assembly

Assemblywoman Jenne: We don’t need to sacrifice our principles to protect our security

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, D-Theresa, supported two measures (A.3049-B, A.4884) to strengthen protections for immigrants living in the North Country.

"North Country residents believe our civil liberties matter. We’ve seen and understand changes that have been made in enforcement at and near our border crossings in recent years," she said.

"We all understand the importance of security in today's world, but we’ve never lost sight of the principles spelled out on the Statue of Liberty. My vote today wasn't just to protect immigrants. It was to protect everyone living in this country, regardless of background or belief.”

The first measure prevents state or local agencies from assisting in the creation of any registry based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin (A.4884).

"We want all New Yorkers to be able to report crimes to law enforcement, not to have victims silenced by concerns about the impact reaching out to law enforcement will have on their employment, their families and their ability to remain in this country. This legislation will provide that security to some of our most vulnerable citizens," she said.

“It's not uncommon for people here in the North Country to travel back and forth across the border. Any measures that target people for who they are don’t make us safer. Instead, they simply make us more fearful," according to Assemblywoman Jenne.

She pointed to the valuable role immigrants played in digging out the power canal and growing the Alcoa plant in Massena that has served as an economic engine in the North Country for over a generation.

"Today, immigrants are playing important roles in providing quality health care in our communities, performing important research at our colleges and universities, helping to maintain our role as one of the leading agricultural counties in the state and working in our tourism industry in the North Country. We want immigrants to enroll at our colleges, become part of the medical staffs at our hospitals and visit our tourist destinations. Immigrants have been and continue to be entrepreneurs creating jobs in the North Country. They are a vital part of our communities and our economy,” she said.

Another bill prohibits state and local agencies from inquiring about the immigration status of a person seeking assistance, benefits or services if that information is not relevant (A.3049-B).

It also enacts protections for individuals from being detained or arrested solely on the basis of perceived immigrant status and establishes the right to counsel in immigration proceedings.

“Our country and community have grown and prospered because we are a land of immigrants who value freedom and equality above all. We need to remain vigilant, but we can't lose sight of the basic principles that have been around since the founding of our country," Assemblywoman Jenne said.

Assemblywoman Jenne continues scrutiny of state program that has created no new jobs in the North Country

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne (D-Theresa) is questioning the state's proposal to rename its Start Up New York program after spending over $50 million on advertising for the brand.

The executive budget unveiled last month calls for making several changes - including its name - to the economic development program that links business with academia. The program came under heavy scrutiny last summer after a report issued by the state revealed it had spent over $50 million on advertising the program had led to the creation of just over 400 new jobs.

Empire State Development Chief Executive Officer Howard Zemsky has said the advertising campaign was necessary to change the perception that New York State is not a good place to do business.

Assemblywoman Jenne, questioning Mr. Zemsky during his testimony before a joint state legislature committee reviewing the proposed 2017-18 executive budget, suggested the name change seemed counterproductive. No new jobs have been created in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties under the Start Up NY program.

"I'm bewildered why we would spent $53 million on brand identification and then go ahead and change the name a couple of years later. Why change the name after we spent so much time and money on it? I think we may need to rethink that," she said.

Assemblywoman Jenne noted Mr. Zemsky had testified earlier Wednesday that plans to refine and refocus the so-called Excelsior Business Program came after discussions with businesses in the program.

She asked the chief executive officer of Empire State Development if his agency had also taken into consideration concerns raised by state lawmakers in recent months about the state's economic development programs.

The assemblywoman had previously said she didn't feel the SUNY schools in the North Country had the resources they needed to make a committed effort to utilize Start Up NY on their campuses.

She noted last summer she needed to see the governor look at including funding in the SUNY budget for dedicated program personnel and academic program investments for Start Up NY if she was going to be able to continue to support the program.

"SUNY schools are among the cornerstones of economic development in our area. SUNY Potsdam has a proposal for an arts-related venture and SUNY Canton for a business accelerator. We need to be making investments in our SUNY system so they can work with the start ups," she stressed.

Mr. Zemsky said leaders of academia in the state, including the University of Buffalo, would be brought to the table.

"We would like funding for areas of the state other than just Western New York," Assemblywoman Jenne retorted.

Joining a chorus of her fellow legislators at the hearing, the North Country assemblywoman also voiced concern about the lack of transparency in the state's economic development program.

"We have asked for more transparency, and the accommodation we have seen in the proposed changes is more secrecy, less transparency," she charged.

Assemblywoman Jenne also questioned Mr. Zemsky about the actual number of jobs that have been created to date, not including jobs that were retained, as a result of the Regional Economic Development Council Program, which the governor is proposing for a seventh round of funding.

Mr. Zemsky's testimony touted that 210,000 jobs had been retained or created in the six rounds of the governor's signature regional competition program. "About 20 percent (are new jobs)," he said.

The executive budget calls for $750 million to be included in 2017 for the latest round of the regional economic development council competition.

Mr. Zemsky acknowledged the majority of the funding comes from other agencies' budgets, with ESD contributing $150 million.

Assemblywoman Jenne is a member of the New York State Assembly's Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry.

IN THE PHOTO:

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne questions Empire State Development Chief Executive Officer Howard Zemsky on Wednesday during a joint legislative hearing on the 2017-18 executive budget for economic development programs in the state.








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