Like its root causes, the achievement gap is complex and multi-dimensional with no simple definition. But it's more than fair to say that the gap exists when students start out behind  - often before they enter school  - and then are not given the needed resources or support to catch up. The reality is that, although the gap affects every race and ethnicity, it disproportionately affects students from low-income families and children of color. And districts struggling with addressing the achievement gap are in urban, suburban and rural settings.

Discussion and consideration of the achievement gap permeates just about everything NYSUT does. It's central to our legislative testimony, to our conversations with Regents, as part of our presentations at regional and local meetings, and it's incorporated into all our communications.

I take great pride in how our union leaders, members and staff have embraced the gap as an important priority. They understand that it's just as much about the future of our society as it is about the children in our classrooms, who, after all, are the future.

They understand that the achievement gap impacts all children and not just those who lag behind. They understand that misguided attempts to shift resources away from students who perform well and unsound approaches that emphasize sanctions over testing are not the answer. They know that these failed strategies will prevent not only the closing of the gap, but will also keep us from demanding more from our "adequate" and high-performing students.

In a few weeks, NYSUT will release a comprehensive report on the symposium we sponsored last fall, "Every Child Counts." That conference brought together influential opinion-makers, education leaders and others to focus on the societal and educational causes of the achievement gap and to discuss next steps. Currently, we are analyzing feedback from panelists, presenters and participants; New York Teacher, as well as http://www.nysut.org/ and http://www.endingthegap.com/, will have more on that soon.

When completed, I intend to discuss the report with editorial boards, education writers, union leaders and members, and every stakeholder in the education community. Everyone needs to be involved in crafting solutions.

That's why NYSUT supports and participates in events dedicated to furthering student achievement. We're a sponsor of the annual Teaching & Learning Celebration, March 7-8 in New York City. NYSUT will conduct several training sessions, participate in panel discussions and offer an exhibit where educators can learn about the union's mission to end the achievement gap and about our Education & Learning Trust programs that can be used to raise student achievement. NYSUT is also a sponsor of the National Urban Alliance's "Teaching for Intelligence: Believe to Achieve" conference March 28-30 in Albany. It's designed to give attendees an appreciation for the challenges faced by urban school districts.

Has there been some progress? Yes. The Education Trust recently cited New York as a state that "recognizes that their future prosperity requires them to address longstanding education funding inequities."

The trust rightly noted the historic fiscal commitment made last year to public education to address the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court decision.

And that's why NYSUT is advocating strongly for the governor and state lawmakers to keep their four-year budgetary commitment to close the funding gap that jeopardizes students in poverty. We need to keep our momentum going.

Simply put, the governor and Legislature must deliver on their promise. As I've said before: This is no time to blink.

For the same reason, NYSUT has launched a campaign that points out the dangers of an arbitrary cap on property taxes, a counter-productive idea that, ironically, is being floated in Albany even as we are making progress in more fairly funding our neediest schools. Our campaign proudly states, "The Right Kind of Cap," and shows children wearing mortarboards  - graduation caps! Arbitrary tax caps, while they might sound appealing, undercut our ability to produce more highperforming graduates and to create the workforce a revitalized economy needs.

Randi Weingarten  - president of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, an AFT vice president and a member of NYSUT's Board of Directors  - puts forth an effective case against tax caps in the op-ed article at right. She strongly condemns a property tax cap and, while New York City school funding is much less dependent on property taxes than other communities, Randi makes the compelling argument that arbitrary caps would have a harmful effect on the entire state's ability to provide quality public schools for all children. As Randi wisely states, a property tax cap is "a pervasive threat to the entire state's commitment to equity and excellence."

It's worth noting that NYSUT is, and has always been, a strong supporter of sensible tax relief proposals that address the disproportionate burden affecting low-income, middle-income and retired taxpayers. Discussions to that end should continue. In the meantime, we should avoid the blunt instrument of a tax cap and remember that when they are given the choice, New Yorkers overwhelming vote "thumbs up" on investing in their public schools. Last year's 95 percent school budget approval rate attests to that.

Black History Month: challenges still

As Black History Month comes to a close, we should be proud of the progress that has been made. Today, 80 percent of African-Americans have at least a high school diploma and 1.1 million African-Americans have advanced degrees, twice as many as in 1995. But, like our efforts to end the achievement gap, this doesn't mean an end to our struggle to guarantee equal opportunities for all citizens. In fact, the statistics also tell us that 25 percent of black Americans live in poverty. That's an unacceptable reality that we must address together if we are to end the gap and ensure a successful future for coming generations.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his final speech addressing supporters of the striking public sanitation workers on April 3, 1968, "… we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. … We've got to see it through. … Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together or we go down together."

Dr. King's words speak volumes about the civil rights struggle that continues today. They speak volumes about the struggle to close the achievement gap. And they underscore the negative impact that a regressive property tax cap would have on our ability to address every child's right to equity and excellence.