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CFE: 'Walking the walk' for school funding

SUCCESS IN THE CITY. That's what actress Cynthia Nixon wants to see in New York City's public schools - and she believes fair funding is a critical ingredient. Nixon, who stars in HBO's Sex and the City, is a mom and advocate for the Alliance for Quality Education. "As a taxpayer who will be asked to pay just a little bit more, I would much rather pay a tax increase than live in the desolate, dangerous, rundown New York that Gov. Pataki would create with his budget," Nixon said in her remarks.

Day Two: "We're leaving Sleepy Hollow," reports Jessica Garcia from her mobile phone. She is head of outreach for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. - one of a throng of marchers walking from New York City to Albany to support fair funding for public schools.

"It's beautiful weather, it's nice and sunny," she said on the second leg of the 150-mile walk, taking place over eight days. As rain threatened, the CFE walkers, accompanied by police escorts and two support vans, donned their ponchos.

CFE supporters started their walk on May 1 in Manhattan at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, where their last court case was heard. Their march ends May 8 in Albany at the Court of Appeals, where the CFE will argue its case for fair school funding.

CFE's long walk to court was held in concert with the massive Albany rally for public education at the Empire State Plaza. On huge screens at one end of the plaza, video footage of the CFE foot soldiers evoked roars of support from the throngs.

In its court case, CFE maintains that the state is ultimately responsible for the "massive deficiencies" in the city's education system, and the court should issue guidelines to cure the defects.

CFE's original lawsuit, filed by New York City parents in May 1993, argued that insufficient funding is the reason for student failure in urban schools. Supporters seek reform of the state finance system to ensure all students have adequate resources, said Samira Ahmed, the campaign's deputy director.

CFE argues that the current state funding system is unconstitutional and that the formula for funding is in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, because urban schools, where large proportions of minority students attend, are underfunded.

In New York City, the campaign for court action drew an enthusiastic response from residents, with hundreds walking for part of the way with the

CFE contingent. "Walking through Manhattan was amazing," Garcia said. At numerous schools along Broadway, school children came out, passed out water or juice to the walkers or walked part of the way. One group of children stood on the street corner and sang to the marchers.

New walkers came and went throughout the Upper West Side, Yonkers and the Bronx, as the marchers left the city.

Robert Jackson, lead plaintiff in the case, cheerily read off some of the signs that surrounded him as he walked along Route 9 outside Sleepy Hollow: "Walking the Walk in Education," "Walk a Mile for Your Child," and "150 Miles or Bust."