Friday, August 6, 2010

City Sidesteps State Ruling to Expand Charter School - NYTimes.com

City Sidesteps State Ruling to Expand Charter School - NYTimes.com

Chancellor Declares Emergency to Sidestep State Ruling and Expand Charter School





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It took almost six months for David M. Steiner, the state education commissioner, to decide that New York City had broken the law when it decided to take space from a program for autistic children on the Lower East Side and give it to an expanding charter school.
Chad Batka for The New York Times
Joel I. Klein, the chancellor, invoked emergency powers.
It took less than two days for Joel I. Klein, the city schools chancellor, to say he would disregard the decision, at least temporarily.
On Wednesday, the chancellor announced he would use his little-known emergency powers, based in a clause in the State Education Law, to follow through with the city’s original

DEFENDER OF THE DEAL Senator Michael F. Bennet of Colorado, above, who as superintendent of schools in 2008 recommended the financing, said no one could have predicted the financial crisis that caused it to go sour.
David Zalubowski/Associated Press
DEFENDER OF THE DEAL Senator Michael F. Bennet of Colorado, above, who as superintendent of schools in 2008 recommended the financing, said no one could have predicted the financial crisis that caused it to go sour.
Denver is now confronted with budgetary woes made worse by esoteric deals peddled before the credit crisis.

Corporate Money Aids Centers Linked to Lawmakers

Nearly a dozen lawmakers have been honored by university endowments financed in part by corporations with business before Congress, posing some potential conflicts.

Senate Votes $26 Billion for States and Schools

The money is to prevent the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers and government workers. Senators also allocated $600 million to strengthen border security.