The father of New York’s charter-school movement says Mayor de Blasio is committing an “outrageous abuse of political power” by snatching away educational choice and opportunity from kids.
Former Gov. George Pataki — who pushed through the initial charter-school law in 1998 — ripped de Blasio’s assault on the publicly funded, independently run alternative schools and appealed to state policy makers to undo the damage.
“De Blasio is cutting charter schools off at the knees,” Pataki told The Post. “It’s unfathomable that he would do something that endangers the education of students and parents.
“It’s an outrageous abuse of political power.”
Pataki is no stranger to the war on charters. He faced enormous resistance when he first pushed charter-school legislation in the 1990s — and persuaded state lawmakers to pass it by linking the measure to a long-sought legislative pay raise. Many considered Pataki’s leadership in the charter struggle as one of one his finest hours as governor.
The three-term GOP governor said he feels compelled to re-enter the fray because de Blasio is attempting to “roll back the progress” that charter schools have provided in educating mostly poor and working-class minority children in New York City and other urban areas.
Pataki said he’s dumbfounded that de Blasio snatched $210 million in building funds from charter schools, aborted space-sharing arrangements for three schools and vows to charge some charters rent for operating in city-run facilities.
“This is about empowering the educational monopoly and the bureaucracy at the expense of the children. They see charter schools as a threat to their monopolistic power,” he said, referring to de Blasio and the union-dominated public school system.
“If they cared about the education of the children,” Pataki said, “they wouldn’t take this choice away. It’s about politicians wanting control. It’s about the political left trying to control everything.”
De Blasio defended his decisions on charter school co-locations as fair and equitable — noting he actually approved 14 of 17 applications.
“The administration is already taking steps to resolve concerns we have received by some parents. In our decisions, we set consistent, objective, commonsense standards—most importantly protecting students with disabilities. We remain deeply committed to the rights of all students, and ensuring every child has access to a great education,” said City Hall spokesman Phil Wolzak.