MARK GREEN
Candidate's website

1. COMMUNITY COLLEGE FUNDING:
State Education Law mandates that the City fund one-third of CUNY community college's overall budget, but that level of funding has not been met for nearly a decade.
(a) Do you plan to increase City funding for CUNY?
(b) By how much?
(c) Over what period of time?

I am strongly committed to funding CUNY at the levels required by law. I will also work to increase funding for the Community Colleges through innovative partnerships that leverage money from the private sector. CUNY needs the support of the private sector and the private sector needs CUNY.
Last April, my office released a paper entitled Creating a 21st Century Workforce for New York that called for establishing Job Training Centers at CUNY Colleges. New York City should expand the breadth of customized training courses currently offered and should promote CUNY to businesses as a training resource. Job-training resources are woefully underutilized in New York City. Only three of CUNY's 17 undergraduate campuses provide a significant amount of employer-designed training, with a total of only 4,488 private-sector workers enrolled in 1998.

Employer-designed training provided through CUNY currently ranges from programs teaching the basics of writing, math and computer literacy to others in precision manufacturing and advanced computer engineering. CUNY programs can serve the most highly specialized needs. New York City Technical College, in partnership with Sun Microsystems, provided training in information technology and network management for NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications employees, as part of an ongoing program to facilitate e-government. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and I visited NYC Technical College, where he endorsed my workforce development proposals.

3. CHILDCARE:
Over 60% of CUNY students are parents, and the majority of this number attend community colleges.
(a) What plans might you have to assist students who are parents?
(b) How would these ideas be reflected in both the City and State budgets?

There is dramatic shortage of quality childcare in New York City. City government needs to do everything in its power to increase the availability of quality childcare for parents who work and attend school. This means ensuring the City maximizes the use of available federal and state funds, lobbies for more assistance, and works to expand the capacity of day care providers through seed grants, technical assistance and other supports.

a) Yes

b) I believe that all those receiving transitional assistance should either work or be in program that prepares them for a specific job. I am very supportive of efforts that would allow those receiving assistance to combine work and education.

c) I have no plans at this time.

d) I support welfare reform that aims to transform a system of dependency to one of work and independence. I support the notion that all those who can work should and that those who can't find work should be helped to develop the skills and given the supports they need to find and hold onto a job.

The City needs to focus supports on those leaving welfare for work so that they don't return to the rolls. We must ensure that real jobs await them and provide skill and capacity building, childcare, health insurance and funds from the Earned Income Tax Credit

a) Yes.

b) Yes.

c) While the Tuition Assistance Program is funded and managed by the State, I would offer my support to organized efforts to secure and maintain additional state and federal tuition dollars for New York's families.

a) Yes.

b) I support the retention and recruitment of high quality professors and instructors. Chancellor Goldstein's recommendation to add 600 full time faculty over the next three years should be a baseline.

No. The Council Merit Award program is one that I will closely consider replicating. It pays approximately 50% of tuition for students who maintain a B+ average. I support the new CUNY's Honor's Program which takes care of tuition and other expenses for the top 250 students that CUNY can attract that are bound for Ivy League schools or 2nd tier. It's the right things to do.

I outlined a detailed incentive package to maintain and attract quality teachers for the City's public schools, many of who come from CUNY. I would consider expanding the Chancellor Levy's Teachers for Tomorrow program, which provides free tuition to qualified candidates willing to teach in our most challenging schools. We'll attract them with incentives, offering young teachers college scholarships and expanded loan forgiveness. And I will also provide a worthy package of bonuses and training for those mid-career professionals who switch to teaching.

I will also expand the use of the Cadet Corps program as a way to recruit new police officers - especially new officers from New York City. I'll institute a new COPTAP program that provides new officers who only have two years of college with tuition assistance to complete their studies.

8. COLLEGE NOW:
College NOW is a CUNY initiative that helps New York City high school students prepare for college through extra academic assistance and training courses at their school and on various community college campuses.
(a) Do you support the College NOW program?
(b) Would you increase funding to enable expanding College NOW?
(c) If yes, by how much and over what period of time?

I support the College NOW program and will work to ensure that students who graduate from New York City high schools are prepared for the challenging course work they will encounter at CUNY. I recognize that programs such as College NOW may help to prepare our students for college and will seriously consider how to make these initiatives as effective as possible.

9. REMEDIATION:
Last year, the CUNY Master Plan removed remediation from its four-year colleges. Now, extra academic assistance and tutoring are only available to students studying at CUNY's community colleges.
(a) Do you agree with this action?
(b) Why or why not?
(c) Would you restore remediation to the four-year campuses?

I support high and consistent educational standards for all students. I also believe it is our responsibility to provide the resources necessary for students to meet such standards. I will closely monitor the implementation of the Trustees' remediation policy.

10. CAPITAL PROJECTS:
With the institution of the CUNY Master Plan and the shift of remediation to the community colleges, some would claim that the community colleges need more basic infrastructure resources such as buildings and technology.
(a) Do you agree with this argument?
(b) If so, are you prepared to propose and to fight for money for capital projects so that the community colleges can successfully absorb CUNY's Master Plan?
(c) What are some ways you might do this?

I will study the CUNY Master Plan and I will examine priorities, including funding for technology and buildings at community colleges. I am not prepared to commit new funding for CUNY capital needs at this point.

12. PRIORITIES:
While many individuals may be committed to a certain issue, they often also have a prioritized list.
(a) What are your top three higher education priorities?
(b) Please list and explain.

CUNY must continue to uphold its commitment to academic excellence while providing equal access to and opportunity for education. As Mayor, I will strive to ensure that CUNY fulfills this mission. I will fight to secure more money from the State, maintain the City's effort as required by law and increase full-time faculty.

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