President Obama’s education secretary said yesterday he’ll wage a national campaign to convince cities across the country to put mayors in charge of their struggling public schools in a bid to replicate the New York City success story.
Arne Duncan said he’ll stake his tenure as America’s top educator on dramatically expanding mayoral control, saying it brings much needed accountability, stability and innovation to urban education. “At the end of my tenure, if only seven mayors are in control, I think I will have failed,” Duncan told the US Conference of Mayors in Washington.
Duncan — who told The Post last week that he wants the New York state Legislature to renew mayoral control of Gotham’s schools, after citing “real progress” in student performance — said he will push his plan in all parts of the country.
“I’ll come to your cities,” Duncan told the mayors. “I’ll meet with your editorial boards. I’ll talk to your business communities. I will be there.”
Duncan, who headed the Chicago schools systems under the direction of Mayor Richard Daley, praised Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein for doing an “extraordinary job.”
But he told the group of mayors and school superintendents that Bloomberg and Klein are “in the fight of their lives” to keep mayoral control.
It’s unusual for an education secretary to get involved in politically volatile local school politics. But Duncan feels so strongly about the merits of mayoral control that he’s willing to stand up to traditional Democratic constituencies — the educational establishment, in particular, the unions.
Duncan’s position could make for an awkward exchange later this week — he plans to speak Saturday in San Diego to the National School Boards Association, which represents local school boards and opposes mayoral control.
Bloomberg thanked Duncan for his support when they met at yesterday’s conference. They also discussed the president’s education reform agenda, sources said.
During questioning by superintendents, Duncan said he would consider using a $5 billion innovation fund to steer aid to mayoral-run school districts that showed improvements in test scores and graduation rates.