Dive Summary:

• Labor-backed education advocacy group Alliance for Quality Education issued a "report card" to the state of New York Tuesday, evaluating Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York Department of Education with mostly failing grades for their attempts at improving student outcomes.
• New York schools saw a $1 billion increase in state funding this year after several years of cuts, though the Alliance for Quality Education said more should be invested if outcomes are to improve, and that current fund distribution and reform plans don't go far enough.
• The state did, however, receive high grades for its pre-kindergarten efforts and community schools, which put education, health care, counseling and other resources for students and families under the same roof.

From the article:

... “There exists across the country an elaborate narrative of denial, perpetrated by conservative pundits nationally and by some voices right here in New York, of trying to deny the fact that money matters a great deal when it comes to closing the gap in educational opportunity,” said Billy Easton, the group’s executive director. ...