Mayoral Control Expiration -- What it Really Means
The state law dictating the governance of NYC schools expires on June 30th. In the State Senate, Republicans and a rogue gang of Democrats calling themselves the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) are refusing to consider renewal until the Assembly agrees to create more charter schools in NYC. In the political battle over privatization of our public schools, some have claimed the expiration of mayoral control will be catastrophic and put our kids at risk.
Ignore the fear mongering coming from many quarters, especially the mayor, on what the expiration of mayoral control means.
Here's what it really means:
Fewer mayoral appointees on central board
The central school board will go from thirteen members to seven. This board was labeled "The Panel for Educational Policy" by Mike Bloomberg instead of "the Board of Education" but it's the same entity in the law, "the city board". Each borough president will continue to appoint one member. What changes is the mayor now gets only two appointees instead of eight.
In the current system the mayor selects the chancellor. When the law reverts, the board has this power. We already have a chancellor so the new board will likely just reaffirm her position. There are few decisions made in the summer. The big stuff happen later -- budgets are considered in the spring. The board will have to meet to approve contracts.
True, the new board composition allows less influence for the mayor and more for the borough presidents but keep in mind our current borough presidents -- Gale Brewer, Ruben Diaz Jr, James Oddo, Eric Adams and Melinda Katz -- are probably the most serious and level-headed set the city has ever seen. In other words, there NYC Public School Parents: Mayoral Control Expiration -- What it Really Means: