A group of public-school parents and politicians — led by council speaker front-runner Melissa Mark-Viverito — is suing to block Mayor Bloomberg’s last-minute approval of dozens of charter-school locations.
The lawsuit — filed jointly in Manhattan Supreme Court by Mark-Viverito, Public Advocate-elect Letitia James and other activists — seeks to halt the placement, or “co-location,” of 42 charter schools in public-school facilities, planned to begin in 2014.
“As public advocate, I intend to ensure the role of parents and teachers, the people closest to the ground, in the educational process,” James said. “These lawsuits are one step in that direction. They will allow us to quickly annul Mayor Bloomberg’s effort to set educational policy for years to come.”
The Bloomberg administration made the approval in October. A proponent of charters, Bloomberg has made them a cornerstone of his educational policy.
Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has called for a moratorium on placing charter schools in public buildings. He argues that charters cause overcrowding and create a two-class system.
He also wants to charge rent to large charter networks using public spaces.