NYC Mayor Strikes a Major Blow to Charter Schools, Cuts $210 Million from Their Budgets

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/education/nyc-mayor-strikes-major-blow-charter-schools-cuts-210-million-their-budgets



The image is surreal. Newly elected New York mayor Bill de Blasio, wearing a broad and slightly goofy smile, dwarfs the infinitely vilified outgoing mayor Michael Bloomberg, who seems somewhat bemused himself.

For 12 years it was Mayor Bloomberg, standing at the forefront of a national education reform movement, who overshadowed Bill de Blasio and his progressive ilk. Bloomberg considered New York the “ poster child” of free-market education reform as he seized mayoral control of the district, closed nearly 200 “failing schools” and opened about that many charters.

But as de Blasio settles into office, his administration has already dealt major blows to one of Bloomberg’s sacred cows. Late last week, newly appointed schools chancellor Carmen Fariña announced that the Department of Education would redirect $210 million from charter schools and independent nonprofits to fund de Blasio’s pre-kindergarten initiative.

The surprise announcement reflects educational priorities in upheaval. The millions in question had been earmarked by the former administration to help clear space for new and expanding charter schools in the coming five years. Instead, Fariña plans to divert the funds to priorities like de Blasio’s flagship initiative, the pre-kindergarten programs sold largely as a remedy for inequality.

[madrchsod]

1. thumbing his nose at the secretary of education?

now this guy i would vote for president.

[fredamae]

5. Yes, that's eaxactly what

my husband and I said last night...but I want to see a bit more before I "firm that up"

[Glitterati]

2. Whooooooo hooooooooo, go de Blasio!!!!

Strike right at the heart of their sacred cows and give that money back to the kids who need and deserve it!

[RoccoR5955]

3. WTG!

These privatized schools have been stealing tax dollars for far too long. They no longer are teaching children to learn, they are training them on orders of the corporate masters.

[kardonb]

49. schools

that has been re repukes goal all along : privatize everything , no matter the poor results , as long as the 1% ,ale their rebbach .

[HappyMe]

4. Good.

Charter schools have been sucking funds away from public schools for too long.

[ReRe]

6. OK, folks. Do we all agree that de Blassio is...

... a real Democrat??? He is the boldest Democrat I have seen in, well... decades. Is there ANY way we could get this guy to run in the general election as a Democrat in 2016? If this country doesn't cough up some real Democratic candidates from local to state to federal, we can kiss democracy good-bye. Let's get to work!

[Ishoutandscream2]

17. Yes. Love this guy

He is the real deal.

[ReRe]

20. Really...

... People don't know what a real Democrat is anymore. We've been going along to get along with these DLC wannabes for way too long. We need to kick them out!

[Nay]

19. YES. May we see more actual Democrats, rather than 3rd-wayers, in office.

This guy, if real, could help turn things around.

[druidity33]

41. Not yet please...

let him prove himself in NY. Just like Sen Warren needs to do here in MA.

[aggiesal]

43. Is there any way to get de Blassio to run NJ?

Then maybe the war on teachers and the public school system would disappear.

Just wishing.

[zentrum]

54. Yep. He is.

Love De Blasio. Feel hope in NYC for the non-elite for first time in 12 years.

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

7. About time.

Let's hope he is an inspiration to others.

[mucifer]

8. Here in Chicago we are stuck with Rahm who LOVES charter school and is doing the opposite.

I didn't vote for rahm.

But, I gotta say congrats to NYC!

I'm jealous.

[QuestForSense]

48. Me, too.

Rahm is not liked for a lot of reasons, but his embrace of the charter schools and the many enemies he made during the Teachers' Strike have probably made people the angriest. He's no democrat, that's for damn sure.

[leftyohiolib]

9. start of a trend hopefully

[another_liberal]

10. Corporations should not be allowed to take over our children's education.

Children are not just another raw material resource to be exploited for profit.

[progressoid]

11. Wow Bill,

[Chiquitita]

12. Hope this is the direction of things to come

My husband taught pre-k for many years until he moved on to 2nd grade, and tracking students progress in our low income district, you can see a direct correlation between kids pre-k experience and later academic success. Those who did pre-k do better than peers from equivalent backgrounds.

[coldbeer]

13. pre kindergarten is the way to go!

way to Go!
Bla-Sio!

[marmar]

14. k/r

[Zen Democrat]

15. Progressivism is the only movement that can save America from the Robber Kings.

Go de Blasio GO!!!

[jsr]

16. Shut them down

[liberal_at_heart]

18. That's what you can do with a real liberal in office. That's what I'm talking about.

As a parent of a struggling special education student who is pissed at the system and pissed at our government , a heart felt thank you Mayor De Blasio. DU moderate democrats, don't tell me it can't be done, because De Blasio just proved it can be.

[nikto]

21. A REAL Progressive? It CAN'T be! Gasp...omg...my heart! ...My heart...

Stand back...

[grahamhgreen]

22. Two thumbs up!!!

[MrMickeysMom]

23. Mayor…. you have my attention!

Please, let this stand as an example …

[bvar22]

24. I hae nothing against Charter Schools,

as long as they do NOT receive a single penny of Public Money.

The US already has a Public School System supported by our Tax Money.
If it is broken, it is our responsibility to FIX IT,
NOT take the money from it and direct it to the Private pockets of the well connected.

If someone decides they need a special Charter School for whatever reason,
let them fund it from their special private sources.

[KamaAina]

32. But then they wouldn't be charter schools

they'd be private schools.

[bvar22]

37. Exactly my point.

Despite the camouflage and misdirection, Charter Schools ARE Private Schools.


They are another conservative Privatization scam to divert Public Money to Private Pockets,
and bust the Teacher's Union for good measure.

[aggiesal]

44. Amen !

[Laelth]

45. Spot on. n/t

-Laelth

[geardaddy]

25. K and R!

[bigwillq]

26. Good for him.

[DirkGently]

27. Excellent. n/t

[vi5]

28. Excellent..

Too bad the powers that be at the national level of the Democratic party don't agree with him, and instead have chosen to cheerlead and enable the corporate takeover of our education system.

[gopiscrap]

29. YES!!!

Fuck all charters, private and home school set ups!!!!

[TheMathieu]

30. Good. Fuck charter schools.

And fuck those smarmy schools in which rich snobs have to sit down for interviews to enroll their overrated children.

[BlueStreak]

31. de Blasio/Warren or Warren/de Blasio for 2020

Realistically we probably have no choice but Hillary in 2016. That's not the worst thing that could ever happen. The good part about that is that there is a good chance of holding the White House in 2016 with Hillary. And that means it is very likely that a Democrat would name a SCOTUS Justice to replace one of the 5 evil ones. That is reason enough to support Hillary for 2016.

But let's get real. She will support the same corporatist crap that is driving the country into the ground, so the nosedive will continue. We have to look beyond that, whether it is with a challenge to the Party establishment in 2020 or whether it is a third party run. By 2020, de Blasio will have had 6 years in NYC and could emerge as a key national voice for where this nation needs to go in the 21st Century -- and it most definitely isn't where the DLCers and Republicans would take us. And Warren will have 7 years in the Senate.

This would be a formidable duo. They would have the disadvantage of being a pair of "Northeast liberals". But by 2020, we have a whole different outlook on that. The challenge Will be to cause a wave of awakening throughout the entire nation by 2020. And don't forget, by 2020, Texas can definitely be a blue state If Governor Wendy Davis, Governor Charlie Crist, and Governor Jerry Brown are in place to join this team, that could be an unstoppable force.

Let's make Hillary the best damn one-term President the Democrats ever had.

[KamaAina]

34. de Blasio is very close to the Clintons

Not likely at all he challenges Hillary.

[BlueStreak]

35. She may not want a second term

She would be 73 at that time.

If she won't step aside, maybe de Blasio could be her running-mate in 2020, and then we could see a de Blasio / Warren or de Blasio / Davis ticket in 2024 (for example, not that those are the only possible progressive choices by then.)

My point is that the nation is changing. The people who think like Reagan's Klan are dying off. We are headed for a titanic clash between a truly fair and progressive society versus becoming virtual slaves of the 0.1%. Every year this clash will become more and more apparent. We need to be setting our sights on how we get real progressives in charge.

This is going to happen. The 0.1% have so corrupted the very essence of capitalism that it is going to come crashing down. I just hope I live long enough to see us turn this corner. I though I saw that when we elected Obama, but I was wrong, or at least 12 years premature.

I'm planning to be alive in 2024, so don't let me down on this one.

[KamaAina]

33. The News and the Post are going to have meltdowns

The Daily News actually coined the word "educrats" to bash the administrators of traditional public schools.

[BrotherIvan]

36. Good on NYC for voting in a real Democrat

California, New York, Massachusetts--keep going! Note to DNC, these are the candidates I will work for and run to the polls for which to vote. Education is a cornerstone of a healthy society. Glad to see not everyone is fooled by the campaign to destroy public education.

[PFunk]

38. Great call mayor!

I may dislike some of de Blasio other positions but no ones perfect. And I do LOVE this one.

[rocktivity]

39. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

If our public schools have problems, let's fix them, not defund them.


rocktivity

[liberalla]

40. Yes! Thank you Bill de Basio. What a great start.

[Squinch]

42. I am so excited to see what other changes he and Farina have up their sleeves!

The next few years are going to be fun! Maybe we'll even see teachers being allowed to teach in a way that allows their students to learn!!!!!

[Jamastiene]

46. I likey!

We could use that nationwide. It's about time these private and charter schools stop sucking money away from public schools.

[gLibDem]

47. Good. Sharter schools are just another mechanism

to funnel public monies into private coffers.

Scam no different than privatized prisons and privatized military contractors.

[busterbrown]

50. Hey Duncan!!! How do you like them apples? n/t..

[gLibDem]

57. I think he won't find them at all edible.

[Enthusiast]

63. +1 a whole bunch.......nt

[Dopers_Greed]

51. Yes!

Shut them all down IMO.

[JDPriestly]

52. Universal pre-kindergarten is the key. But the program should start with three-year-olds.

[Renew Deal]

53. If they take the money out of the charters, where does the money come from to educate those kids?

What happens to the k-12 kids if the money is taken completely out of the pot?

[caraher]

55. It looks like this was money earmarked for expansion

so he didn't pull the rug out from under current charters, if I understand this correctly

[greiner3]

56. How soon will it be;

Before the calls come in for a recall against Bill de Blasio?

[Coyotl]

58. K&R. This is the coming trend as the charter experiment is failing.

I the charter school goal was really education, it might have succeeded. But, with money and indoctrination as the drivers, it was doomed, especially the idea that they could just rob public schools to support their profit and religious goals.

[blkmusclmachine]

59. Let's hope the $$$ doesn't find a backdoor to the for-profite, religious charters!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

60. This is such great news

especially considering NYC isn't any Podunk town - school districts will be watching this development closely. Public education is a tenet of democracy and must be jealously guarded and protected.

Bravo, Mr. Mayor!

[valerief]

61. Cut it all!!! nt

[Enthusiast]

62. Arne Duncan does not approve.