Thursday, March 13, 2014

Cuomo: We Will Enshrine Charter Co-Locations Into Law

Eva Moskowitz is getting her $800,000 worth out of Governor Cuomo:

Gov. Cuomo says the fight to protect charter schools will be one of he biggest issues in the upcoming state budget negotiations.

In a slight jab at Mayor de Blasio, Cuomo said the charter school issue will trump the fight over prekindergarten expansion--declaring that latter battle over.

"We've been dealing about pre-k for a long time, but I think that's pretty well established," Cuomo told host Susan Arbetter Thursday during an appearance on public radio's "The Capitol Pressroom." "What we're going to do is what we said we were gong to do. We'll have a statewide pre-K program that will be funded by the state."

... 
Cuomo said he wants to protect the charter school movement and, like the the Senate, wants to address the issue in the budget.

"The discussion on the charter schools is going to be powerful and is probably going to be one of the more controversial and complex matters that we wind up dealing with the budget," Cuomo said.  
"The charter discussion is going to be new and it's going to be important."

Cuomo didn't give specifics on what changes he will seek for the charters other than saying it will include a mix of money and laws that say how the money is spent.

"This is more about the law, first of all," he said. "What protections do we have to make sure that charter schools continue if, in fact, the Legislature believes charter schools (should continue)" he said. "My position is going to be, yes they should continue and there continuation should be protected."

Cuomo said charter schools feel they are in jeopardy. Opponents don't have to get rid of the charter school law to stop the movement, he said. If charter schools are not given a location and are not given funding to find a location, Cuomo said, "then in essence the charter schools are out of business." 
"You don't have to say I'm not building any more charter schools or authorizing any more charter schools, you just say, 'I can't find a location and I am not prepared to fund the school to find the location."

He noted that "theoretically," the state has the ability to charter a school. He wouldn't say specifically if that's the direction he wants to head.

"We're not going to be in a situation where charter schools stop--not if I have anything to do with it," he said.

Will charters have to abide by the same rules and regulations as public schools if they are guaranteed co-locations in public school buildings?

Right now Moskowitz says the state has no right to audit her finances because she is not a public school.

Her teachers are not evaluated using APPR.

She does not have to replace students who drop out of her schools.

Charter teachers get to grade their own Regents.

There is a whole host of issues on which the charter operators get a leg up on public schools.

Will they still maintain these benefits after they get co-locations and extra funding guaranteed by law?

 Will Eva still get to say the state has no right to audit her because she is not a public school when she is being funded and located just like a public school?

6 comments:

  1. Charters also get a pass on ESL and Special Ed.

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  2. You know, if I were Andrew Cuomo I would be careful about antagonizing middle class voters. This charter school issue just might do that. BdB won 75% of the vote in NYC in large part because many middle class folks were fed up with the education policies of Bloomberg. As a middle class parent, I can tell you I am totally against charters as our many of children's friends parents. The charter school ads have aggravated the situation. Eva Moscowitz seems like a petulant child. I'm all for giving disadvantaged kids choice, but no on the backs of middle class kids. I don't plan to vote for Cuomo. I've never voted Republican but I will this time. I want to send a message to the Democrats - don't take my vote for granted. Just because there's no better option on the other side doesn't mean Andy Cuomo should not be smacked down.

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    1. Disagree that BdB has much of a mandate. Can see from the latest polls that whatever good will and support he had post-election is at this point fluid. Also, those ads are working - I'm hearing from people outside education things like "Why does de Blasio hate poor black charter school students." That's not to say what Cuomo is looking to do is tremendously popular, but I wouldn't put much money on BdB in a fight w/ Cuomo right now.

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  3. I don't think those ads are working. I think you're a little hard on BdB and don't seem subjective, He just got elected. It's a long four years a lot can happen. By your own admission, Cuomo is weak.

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  4. I agree with you RBE. Those adds are very convincing. They make me sick. You are not too hard on BdB. He has thrown away his political capital. Cuomo has him by the -----. Cuomo turned the PreK issue against him. He transformed Moskowitz into the slighted stepchild. You have excellent political instincts.

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