Dozens of students, parents and teachers from Catholic and Hebrew schools of Brooklyn’s 42nd State Assembly District held a peaceful and respectful rally Monday outside Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte’s office to call on her to support the Education Investment Tax Credit bill, currently up for passage in the Assembly.

The bill, which would benefit children by expanding private K-12 scholarship opportunities and increasing resources for public school programming, has been supported by Governor Cuomo and has already passed the State Senate, but has been blocked in the Assembly. Despite the widespread support of the Education Tax Credit, Assembly Member Bichotte has actively opposed the legislation.

That is why on Monday more than 45 people representing St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy and Yeshiva Shaare Torah and took the sidewalks in front of her office to urge her to support their schools and their families.
Rudolph Cyrus-Charles, the veteran Principal of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy, located on Church Avenue, said: “A great many of our families are working families and our children need scholarships to attend. We serve the children of Brooklyn, who are elite in their desire to learn but not economically. This bill will help them and thousands of children just like them who want a better future but cannot afford it.”

According to a Siena Poll released last week, the Education Tax Credit is a rare issue that has very strong support among African-American/Black voters (55-32), Latinos (53-37), Jews (53-42) and Catholics (52-43).

(YWN Desk – NYC)