What De Blasio Is Really Saying In His Call For A Closure/Co-Location Moratorium

First, in case you were working all day and missed the press release, here's the important stuff:

Brooklyn, NY – Public Advocate and Democratic candidate for mayor Bill de Blasio today criticized Mayor Bloomberg’s eleventh-hour efforts to push through deeply divisive school co-location plans, and blasted Bloomberg’s chief ally Speaker Quinn for refusing to call for a moratorium on school co-locations and closures – effectively acquiescing to these eleventh-hour changes.

“If Mayor Bloomberg has his way while his closest political partner Speaker Quinn stays silent, nearly half of the proposed co-location plans will put schools over 100% capacity.  This means larger class sizes for our students,” said de Blasio.  “Bloomberg’s proposals are a cynical effort to lock communities into permanent changes while ignoring community voices, and Speaker Quinn’s refusal to support a moratorium is letting Bloomberg have his way.”

Bill de Blasio is calling for an immediate halt to co-location and closure plans for the remainder of Bloomberg’s term and until a new process can be put in place. Despite years of community opposition and multiple efforts at reforming this deeply broken process, the thirty recently released Educational Impact Statements – the plans that outline significant changes in school utilization – unfortunately represent “business as usual” for Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn.  Of the proposals released, nearly half will place school buildings over 100% capacity.  In two proposals, when the school is fully phased-in, the buildings will be close to 135% capacity.

“The next administration deserves the opportunity to shape the future of the educational system in New York City, not be saddled with another Bloomberg plan offered in the twilight of his term that will last long after he is gone,” said de Blasio.  “Speaker Quinn seems content to stand by and let that happen.  These thirty ”schools – nearly half of which will be left overcrowded – deserve better.”

De Blasio isn't calling for a moratorium on closures and co-locations forever, just until the next mayor takes over and can redo the system.

He doesn't want to get stuck with Bloomberg's plans for the next four or eight years.

Bloomberg is trying to extend his influence well past December 31, 2013 by sticking the next mayor with all kinds of consultant contracts, business deals, real estate deals, and future co-locations.

De Blasio is pointing out what Bloomberg is doing and Quinn's complicity in it.

I bet he'll bring this up in tonight's final mayoral debate at some point.

De Blasio does say he wants to bring in much more community input into policy decisions, co-locations and closures in the future.

That would be great and I hope it happens.

But again, I think the thrust of this press release is to point out the shenanigans Bloomberg is involved in and Quinn's role in helping him through her inaction.

The press release says more than once, a vote for Quinn is a vote for Bloomberg Education Policy Mach IV.

De Blasio is certainly right about.

And notice how he used DFER Joe Williams to prove his point that Quinn = Bloomberg:

FACT: Key Bloomberg Education Backer Said That Schools Will Probably Still Close if Quinn Became Mayor and That “The Policy Itself May Be Not All That Different [From Bloomberg's]“. In a Jan 2013 Wall Street Journal story, Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, praised Quinn’s approach on school closings. The story states, “Williams said schools will probably still close if Quinn ends up leading the city” and that “the policy itself may be not all that different” from Mayor Bloomberg’s proposals. [Wall Street Journal, "In Speech, Quinn Spells Out Education Platform", 1/15/2013]

I wonder what the DFER's are thinking on all of this.

I assume they figure they'll ride in after the election carrying cash and buy the same old same old policies.

De Blasio's talking a good game about changing the system for real.

We'll see if he follows through after the DFER's and their hedge fund/Wall Street/corporate allies come calling with cash.

I hope he sticks to his promise to change the system for real regardless of how much the elites offer to keep the status quo on closures, co-locations and the like.