Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Cuomo sends mixed message on education | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin

Cuomo sends mixed message on education | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin

Cuomo sends mixed message on education

Lack of detail makes educators, others skeptical about his plan

BY GEORGE BASLERGBASLER@GANNETT.COM • NOVEMBER 6, 2010, 5:25 PM

Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo had a message for schools during his campaign: They need to cut costs, operate more efficiently and improve student performance.

But his platform gave few details on how they're supposed to accomplish this, and that leaves school officials wondering what priority education will have in his "to do" list after he takes office in January.

"I think he's going to be an activist governor," said Timothy G. Kremer, executive director of the New York State School Boards Association.

Kremer thinks Cuomo will push a series of measures that directly affect schools, including a tax cap, changing the way state school aid is distributed and the way schools go about controlling costs.

But other officials noted education was not something Cuomo talked about much during the campaign, so