Charter schools, under siege by the de Blasio administration, received a rousing show of support Tuesday from the Cuomo administration, which declared that there should be “room for everybody” when it comes to improving education.
Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy addressed more than 1,000 charter-school supporters at a rally in Albany and immediately expressed support for the charters, which Mayor de Blasio wants to rein in.
“I just want to say first of all on behalf of the governor, we support what [charters] do. We have a very strong charter school community across the state. It’s not about anything but putting children first. It’s about choice,” Duffy said.
He noted charters will soon be able to participate in Gov. Cuomo’s universal pre-K program.
“There is room for everybody . . . Public schools and charters help each other get strong down the road,” Duffy said to thunderous applause.
De Blasio has proposed slashing $210 million from a charter construction fund, while denying charters additional space in public school buildings.
Following Duffy’s speech, NYC Charter School Center CEO James Merriman and other charter leaders met privately with Cuomo.
Meanwhile, leaders of both the state Assembly and Senate called for a moratorium on the use of new, more rigorous Common Core standards to evaluate students and teachers.