Under attack for not denouncing major cuts to education, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein passionately defended his advocacy role and said he is saving a popular teacher mentoring program slated for the ax.
At a hearing before the City Council Education Committee, Chairman Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan) asked Klein why he wasn't publicly blasting the budget cuts, as thousands of teachers and parents did at a rally this week.
Klein said he had "no apology to make" for his leadership and pointed to an additional $4 billion in city education funding since 2002.
"I will look every citizen of this city in the eye and say that's a product of the mayor's leadership and my leadership," he said.
Klein later acknowledged that he would restore $10 million to the "lead teacher program," which pairs veteran educators with new teachers in struggling schools. Advocates had been outraged that the popular program was going on the chopping block.
Education officials also revealed during the hearing that 26 schools are so strapped for cash they might not have to absorb this year's 1.75% midyear budget cut until next year.
"They're really in a bind," said Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm. "We're continuing to work with them, but we can't take blood from a stone."
