July 3, 2007
NYC Charter Schools To Receive $60 Million in CFE Cash
NY Sun reporter Elizabeth Green reports that a bunch of new money from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit will be going to public charter schools, outside the contours of Gov. Slitzer's "Contract for Excellence" that was designed to make sure the dough wasn't pissed away wasted.
People like Mike Rebell, of CFE fame, aren't happy, since this was always about trying to get more money to the system, not to actually provide a better public education for NYC kids. "Why should money going to charter schools be less accountable than money going to public schools," Rebell wondered.
Rebell's argument would make sense if any political leader in New York City actually had the guts to put a padlock on the 300 or so crappiest public schools in the city. They don't, and so, as Rebell understands, charter schools (which in New York are closed when they fail) are pretty much the only accountable public schools that will be touching CFE money this year.
PS - As Mayor Bloomberg prepares a run for national office, shouldn't people be asking him if HE has the guts to close down crappy schools? Does he have the guts to try real accountability in his school system?
PPS - You want accountability, smaller classes, art teachers, etc.? Give the money to each student, let them choose their school, then aggressively close down the crappy schools. Ask yourself why the grownups in the education cartel won't even entertain this idea.
