The Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) was a not-for-profit advocacy organization that sought to protect and promote the constitutional right to a sound basic education for all public school students in the State of New York.
They worked with a coalition of parents, community members, and education advocates who were concerned about the state's funding of New York City schools, which the CFE felt was persistently inadequate.
The Court of Appeals, New York's highest court, ruled in 1995 that the New York State constitution requires that the state offer all children the opportunity for a "sound basic education," defined as a meaningful high school education that prepares students for competitive employment and civic participation.
Justice DeGrasse agreed with the referees' recommendations and in 2005, ruled that New York City schools needed an additional $5.6 billion in annual operating aid and an additional $9.2 billion over five years for building, renovating, and leasing facilities in order to provide students with their constitutional right to the opportunity to receive a sound basic education.
The group wanted to ensure that the new education finance system reform being put into place would successfully provide adequate funds and resources to students in public schools through the state, not just in New York City.
Examples of campaigns used to raise awareness among New York citizens include: "Fair Funding, Better Schools" and the "100 Days to Educational Excellence".
Under this law are the following mandates: 1) commitment to raise annual state aid for education in 2010–11 by $7 billion; 2) foundation formula committed to distributing aid solely based on need; 3) new input/output accountability requirements; and 4) public participation requirements in developing, approving and enforcing the Contracts of Excellence (law's primary accountability tool).
The purpose of the contract is to target education strategies such as reduced class size, teacher/principal quality, full day pre-K, high school/middle school restructuring and model programs for English Language Learners.
The organization helped to develop the "Contract for Excellence," as well as other initiatives seeking to bring new funds and resources to the highest-needs students in the lowest-performing schools across New York State.
Following the issuance of the court decisions, the state committed to increasing funding for New York City and other high-need districts by over $7 billion per year, over a four-year phase-in period.
The plaintiffs, represented by Michael Rebell and the Morgan, Lewis and Bokius sought full statewide funding of the foundation aid forumula and to ensure that all students in New York City and other districts are provided the "meaningful opportunity for a sound basic education" guaranteed by Art.