That's why we support Howie Hawkins and Brian Jones! They are committed to speaking up for fully-funded, quality public education. They are calling for New York to opt out of Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards. They want to end the emphasis on testing in the curriculum and policies that are driving the school-to-prison pipeline.  They want to eliminate the state-mandated local tax cap, provide equitable funding for all of our schools, reduce class sizes across the state, support programs that promote desegregation in our schools, and allow schools to develop methods of assessment that are organic to the learning process. Howie Hawkins and Brian Jones are both union members and union activists. They support unions' role in preserving the democratic voice of educators, parents and students in our schools.