More lies by Bloomberg on charter schools and their Wall Street benefactors...
Read original...
As the battle continues over education funding (and Gov. Paterson's veto thereof this week), it's worth posting this letter Mayor Bloomberg recently wrote to Albany leaders, pressing them to maintain school funding for schools -- charters and otherwise.
In the letter, the mayor points to "Transforming The High School Experience," an MRDC report detailing how NYC schools are improving graduation rates.
He urges the state legislature to treat all children fairly -- regardless of whether their parents have chosen to send them to traditional public schools or charter schools.
James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, also made this point (obviously to support his own interest, but who can blame him?) to me in a phone interview while I was up at the State Capitol:
"The mayor in his letter sets forth the principle that we consider critical which is that all children regardless of whether they attend a district or a charter school, should be treated equally and the funding should be equal. We’re happy the mayor has made that clear that this is his position. Obviously, there’s a lot of work to be done to reach a point where that principle beomes reality, and we’re certain the mayor understands Albany’s endgame, which we undersatnd to be that while they have lifted the cap on charter schools at the gunpoint of Race to the Top, their clear [intent] is to try to starve charter schools of funding so new charter schools won’t be created. We’re working with the mayor and our friends in Albany to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Read for yourself:
Charter School Letter to Gov Paterson, Speaker Silver and Senator SampsonCharter School Letter to Gov Paterson, Speaker Silver and Senator Sampson
