Parents Outraged Over Gov. Cuomo’s Meddling to Secure Privileges for Charters at Expense of Public Schools
** Statement by the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, City’s Largest Parent-led Organization **
(NY, NY)- Following today’s New York Times article, “Cuomo Played Pivotal Role in Charter Push,” revealing the Governor’s heavy-handed and direct meddling in state budget outcomes which gave charter schools special privileges, Jose Gonzalez, spokesperson for the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, released the following statement:
“As Black, Latino and immigrant parents, we applaud the increase in education funding and investment in universal pre-k, but are appalled by Governor Cuomo and the Senate Majority and their aggressive interference in NYC education policy.
“When Governor Cuomo took office he vowed to be the “Student’s Lobbyist” and advocate for all students. Instead, the Governor has sold out to the corporate charter school lobby, which has given close to a million dollars for his re-election campaign as well as over $5 million on advertisements attacking Mayor de Blasio, and pushed through policies that give free reign of the public school system. If charter schools want to take space in a public school building, they will be able to. If they don’t like the space, they can get a new one. If they want to expand, they can.
“Time and time again, we encounter policies that give power to the few over the many.