Metro

De Blasio backers push Walcott to hit charter schools

City Council members urged the schools chancellor to throw in the towel now on controversial space-sharing arrangements between schools Wednesday in preparation for a likely Bill de Blasio mayoralty.

With nearly three months left in his term, Chancellor Dennis Walcott bristled at the unusual request by several Education Committee members — who support Democrat nominee de Blasio’s call for a moratorium on giving charter schools free use of public-school buildings.

“Leadership is not about testing the wind and putting my finger up as to what the next administration may or may not do,” said Walcott.

“The people haven’t spoken yet,” he added. “I mean, there’s an election in November.”

The council proposed three advisory resolutions that call for reining in the high number of school closings and co-locations under the Bloomberg administration.

The Department of Education is set to approve dozens of additional space-sharing arrangements later this month, even for charter schools that have yet to get the state’s OK to open.

United Federation of Teachers president Mike Mulgrew spoke in favor of one resolution that calls for charters seeking free space to reveal their financial data and political donations.

Changes to state law would be required for such disclosures, however.

“Communities being asked to give up valuable public space deserve to know as much as possible about charters that want to move into their buildings, particularly charters with deep bank accounts, expensive p.r. firms and lobbyists, and executives making twice as much as — or more than — the chancellor,” Mulgrew said.