A decision by the state legislature whether to continue mayoral control of the city public school system is still two years away, but signs that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will have a huge fight on his hands trying to convince state lawmakers to continue with the centralized system are already coming into view. Bloomberg and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), one of his arch-rivals on this issue, are already waging a small war over several issues involving teachers, such as tenure and class size.
But the mayor also faces strong opposition from influential Queens legislators, such as Assemblymembers Catherine Nolan and Ivan Lafayette, and from community and parent groups.
Last week, the usually placid mayor lost patience with the teacher's union and blasted the organization as being the same as another of his arch enemies, the NRA (National Rifle Association).
Speaking at a Department of Education rally in support of another school reorganization plan, which is opposed by the UFT and others, according to media reports, the mayor charged the UFT is merely a "small chorus" acting in its own selfinterests, "just like the NRA".
He added: "You always do have the problem of a very small group of people who are singleissue focused having a disproportionate percentage of power. That's exactly like the NRA."
UFT President Randi Weingarten refused to give an immediate comment, but the following day, said something more threatening: that she wants to form a "multi-partisan" task force to judge mayoral control of the school system and come up with possible alternatives.
Such a task force would give Weingarten and her organization plenty of time to formulate a position on continuing mayoral control of the schools before the legislature takes it up again next year.
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