House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was in town this week with a timely defense of charter schools.
Speaking in Brooklyn, Cantor rightly noted the “real, meaningful improvements for families” of charter schools and took issue with Mayor de Blasio’s call to impose a moratorium on new charter co-locations and charge rent for some that already exist.
“This move could devastate the growth of education opportunity in such a competitive real-estate market like New York City,” Cantor said. “Just think . . . How many families will have their choices taken away if Mayor de Blasio pursues these policies?”
We agree 100 percent. Especially given the mayor’s response that it’s just “the norm” to “charge rent when school space is made available for outside organizations.”
Outside organizations? Seriously?
Charters are public schools. They succeed because they are accountable to parents instead of to teachers unions and the education bureaucracy.
That said, we part company with the House Majority Leader when he suggests Congress might launch a probe if de Blasio follows through on his anti-charter rhetoric. As wrong as we believe the mayor would be to do so, and as terrible as the consequences would be for the city’s children, this is not a matter for the feds.
We supported Mayor Bloomberg in his quest for mayoral control of the schools because that’s where the buck should stop. If Mayor de Blasio now uses that lawful power to move against charters, New Yorkers need to hold him responsible — and not look to Congress to rescue us from the consequences of a free and democratic election.