DeBlasio took stand against some charters. So they passed a law to give millions to charter schools.

[madfloridian]

It was meant to rebuke him, and it's a law that will take tens of millions from public schools to benefit charter schools. Seems they are harming students and parents and teachers in trying to spite DeBlasio.

City set to begin paying millions for charter-school rent under new law

By the end of May, the Department of Education will have sent money to dozens of expanding charter schools to cover this year’s facility costs, according to a letter sent to school leaders this month. The schools are the first to reap the significant financial benefits of a state law passed just over a year ago that is sure to grow more costly for the city in the coming years.

...The city is obligated to spend $40 million to cover rent costs of eligible charter schools if they are not given space inside of a city-owned building, according to the law. Once the bills hit the $40 million ceiling, costs will be split with the state.

The law was passed in April 2014 as a rebuke to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who during his early months in office signaled that he would end the city’s practice of giving charter schools space inside of city-owned buildings for free. Charter schools do not automatically receive any funding for space, and de Blasio’s predecessor Michael Bloomberg used the controversial space-sharing policy to help grow the city’s charter sector.

For several years charter schools in New York have been allowed to move into existing public schools and in effect take over the facilities.

Charter school moves into public school..moves furniture around, takes over auditorium.

Suzanne Tecza had spent a year redesigning the library at Middle School 126 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including colorful new furniture and elaborate murals of leafy trees. So when her principal decided this year to give the space to the charter high schools that share the building, Ms. Tecza was furious.

“It’s not fair to our students,” she said of the decision, which gives the charter students access to the room for most of the day. “It’s depriving them of a fully functioning library, something they deserve.”

Charter schools, privately run but publicly financed, are generally nonunion, freeing them from labor restrictions. They have gained traction with their promise of innovative teaching methods and more flexible work rules for teachers. Arne Duncan, President Obama’s education secretary, has told states that they must remove impediments to charter schools as a condition of winning so-called Race to the Top grants.

More about how KIPP charters took over a school.

KIPP charter school invades NY public school with "A" grade....read the views of both sides.

There are several important reasons why charter schools not only harm public school children, but are a direct threat to public education as we know it. The harm is not ideological in nature, it is direct. I just attended the expansion hearing of KIPP into PS 195 in Harlen this Monday - and it is heartbreaking to hear that PS 195 students have class in the cafeteria. The teacher must ask the other students who are having lunch to quiet down, so instruction can happen. And if this isn't unbelievable enough, KIPP is expanding from its current grades of 5-8, to K-8.

More than a few PS 195 teachers got up to demand that KIPP teachers stop threatening charter school students with the admonishment,"Do you want to be like them?" The lesson hammered into these children every single day in that partitioned environment is one of segregation. The public school students are made to feel less, and the charter school children learn that personal advantage gained by harm to others is not only an entitlement of their talent, but a necessity.

DeBlasio did try to stand up to charter school leaders like Eva Moskowitz, who moves her Success Academies wherever she likes.

DeBlasio said they must stop enabling Moskowitz. But Cuomo to hold huge fundraiser for her.

Here are his words during the campaign. I found them in a long video interview of Eva Moskowitz by Reason TV. It's about 4 minutes in.

DeBlasio: Time for Eva Moskowitz to stop having the run of the place. She has to stop being tolerated,enabled, and supported.

But Moskowitz threatened to go to the president if DeBlasio crossed her, and Cuomo took her side.

ALBANY—Eva Moskowitz said she would go to the president of the United States to help her students if she had to. For now, she's stopping at Andrew Cuomo.

Moskowitz, C.E.O. of Success Academy charter schools in New York City, helped organize a massive rally outside the state Capitol on Tuesday, where she said she was “delighted” to have the governor's support.

Cuomo spoke at the event, pledging his commitment to getting charter schools the money and facilities they need to “thrive,” while down the street New York City mayor Bill de Blasio fought what is shaping up to be a losing battle for his tax-the-rich pre-kindergarten plan.

“It's just nice to have friends and supporters,” Moskowitz said, when asked about Cuomo. “We have felt kind of alone in this fight.”

The education reformers will stop at nothing to get their way. Too bad public school advocates don't have the resources to fight back.

[GoneFishin]

1. All with the end game of removing education from the hands of the public and turning it over

to the control of the 1% so the gatekeepers can control what our kids learn, without pesky oversight from people concerned more about the future of our society than profit and propagandizing those fertile little minds.

[madfloridian]

2. Yes.

[Starry Messenger]

3. K&R

[madfloridian]

4. Thanks.

Dropped quickly.

[greatlaurel]

5. Great post, more people need to read this. Thanks for posting.

I am absolutely amazed at how little attention is paid to the privatization of education on DU. Posts about education drop like a rock. Teachers are still a powerful force in the US. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders should both come out now with strong support for public schools and public school teachers. It would ignite a sleeping giant, which has had no political support from either Democrat or GOP politicians. Obama should be ashamed of himself for backing that sleaze, Duncan and Cuomo has now demonstrated to all, with his attacks on public education, he is a GOP troll, bought and paid for.

[madfloridian]

6. It was literally a power play against someone who stood up to "reformers".

They showed him who's boss without caring if public schools suffered.

Thanks for reading.