Marist Poll: 65% Say Bloomberg Is A Disaster For Schools

The Mayor of Money continues his plummeting toward George W. Bush levels of approval and popularity overall in the latest Marist poll:

The high approval ratings once enjoyed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are, for now, a thing of the past. According to this NY1-Marist Poll, Mayor Bloomberg’s job approval rating among registered voters citywide is 40%. This includes 9% who believe the mayor is doing an excellent job in office and 31% who say he is doing a good one. About four in ten voters — 38% — rate Bloomberg’s job performance as fair while 21% view it as poor. Only 1% is unsure.

The overall approval number is down from 44% in February. On schools, his numbers are much, much worse:

65% of registered voters in New York City disapprove of how Mayor Bloomberg is handling the city’s public schools while just 27% approve. Eight percent are unsure.

What a difference a third term makes. When Marist last asked this question in July 2009, a majority — 53% — approved of how Bloomberg was doing while 38% disapproved. Nine percent, then, were unsure.

67% of voters with children in the city’s public schools disapprove of how Bloomberg is handling the schools while 29% approve. Just 3% are unsure

Marist also asked why New Yorkers think Bloomberg wants to end tenure and seniority protections for teachers:

When it comes to laying off teachers, Mayor Bloomberg opposes “last in, first out.” However, is his desire to end tenure based more upon an attempt to gain greater control over the public schools or to close the city’s budget deficit? Half of New York City adults — 50% — think it’s a control issue while 38% say it’s for budgetary purposes. 12% are unsure.

Among parents with children in the New York City public schools, nearly six in ten — 57% — think Bloomberg wants this rule changed because he wants greater control over schools while 34% say it is based upon his desire to close the city’s budget deficit. Eight percent are unsure.

On the budget, New Yorkers disapprove of Bloomberg's performance pretty heftily as well:

Mayor Bloomberg’s financial ability was at the core of his third term re-election campaign. However, voters view Bloomberg as falling short. A majority — 56% — disapprove of how Bloomberg is handling the city’s budget compared with 38% who approve. Six percent are unsure.

Views toward Bloomberg’s handling of the budget have steeply declined. When Marist reported this question in July 2009, 49% approved of his fiscal management while 41% disapproved. 10%, at the time, were unsure.

This poll shows just how unpopular Bloomberg and his policies are - especially the school policies.

People aren't buying his budget jive on the layoffs.

While the poll shows New Yorkers are not overly sympathetic toward the teachers union, it also shows they understand that the layoff threat is more about control then it is about the budget deficit.

No wonder Bloomberg is spending two million dollars on campaign-style ads to revive his political brand and personal popularity.

People are seeing through his horseshit.

You can be sure that Bloomberg's people regularly poll on these issues and they know exactly where he is heading on this stuff - right into the toilet.

We'll see if the $2 million in ads changes these numbers.

I don't think it will.

People have made up their minds on this man and while he is not reviled the way Giuliani was reviled in this city pre-9/11 (with many teachers and parents of school children perhaps the exception to that), people are just done with this guy, they no longer like the job he is doing or like him and they just want him to go away and take Cathie Black, Howard Wolfson and the bike lanes with him.