Saturday, June 18, 2016

New York Legislature Creates "Parallel System Of Charter Schools" In New York City

In the middle of the night, John Flanagan shoved through an extension of mayoral control of NYC schools that essentially frees charter schools from having to follow any rules:

ALBANY — State lawmakers on Friday reached a long-awaited deal to conclude the 2016 legislative session that included a modest ethics package, state funding for supportive housing for the homeless, and a one-year extension — with major caveats — of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control of New York City schools.

...

Bowing to demands from the State Senate majority leader, John J. Flanagan, a Republican who is not disposed to be helpful to a mayor who has openly worked to flip control of the chamber to the Democrats, the mayor and his allies in the Democrat-dominated Assembly agreed to disclose more information about city school districts’ spending and to accept a change to the oversight structure for more than half the city’s charter schools.

A one-year extension, with few or no caveats, had seemed all but cemented when lawmakers went to bed on Thursday evening. But the morning found Mr. Flanagan pushing for the funding transparency requirement, followed by the charter-school provision in the afternoon. It would effectively create a parallel system of charter schools within the city, allowing “high-performing charter schools in good standing” to switch to join the State University of New York umbrella or the Board of Regents of the State Educational Department.

More - italics mine:

There was concern within City Hall that the charter school provision would significantly change how such schools in the city run.

Charter schools can be authorized by three agencies — the State Education Department, the city’s Education Department and SUNY — but all operate according to the same state law. Although the announcement of the agreement did not offer details, the Senate’s proposal would exempt SUNY schools from the usual state standards and free to set their own rules, two officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said.

There are 111 charters authorized by SUNY in the city. Another 55 are authorized by the city’s Education Department, and 39 by the state department.

Going to repeat the italicized part from above:

Although the announcement of the agreement did not offer details, the Senate’s proposal would exempt SUNY schools from the usual state standards and free to set their own rules, two officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said.

Wheee - let's all switch to charter-friendly SUNY, where we can set our own rules and be free from the usual state standards!!!

Quite a midnight passage.

16 comments:

  1. It's really sad when appalling legislation like this stuff fails to shock me anymore. It's just what we have come to expect.

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  2. Another nail in the coffin for public school education in NYC.

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  3. Which standards are charter schools adhering to now? I may have missed something. The charter schools in my neck of the woods do whatever they damn please.

    Abigail Shure

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    Replies
    1. This inequity and bias must be challenged in the courts. Rest assured, this is a pay for play scheme.

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  4. This is all part of the Plucrats master plan to destroy the unifying institutions of the middle class. Charter schools are the invasive species in our educational ecosystem.

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    Replies
    1. Correction: Plutocrats

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    2. Charters are the predators. Public schools are the prey. They are devouring public school teachers alive.

      Abigail Shure

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  5. Welcome to the Twilight Zone!
    Where parallel universes are populated by parallel school systems, and there are no rules and no limits.
    Lost in this parallel universe with no way to return, our hero is
    a deformed education reformer gone rogue.
    An epic battle is fought from a galaxy filled with testing bureaucrats against our rogue hero.
    YOU ARE NOW ENSCONCED IN CHARTER SCHOOL CANYON. YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET LOST IN THE TWiLGHT
    ZONE WHERE NO ONE EVER GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

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  6. Would the city be off the hook for providing rent free space to charter schools that switch to SUNY?

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