New York owes Bill de Blasio a thank you. In trying to squash charter schools, he might just have made them stronger.
That will certainly be the case should a bill that emerged in the Senate Thursday become state law. Not only would it override de Blasio’s move to shut three charters, it would provide more funding for all city charters, including — for the first time — funds for their buildings. It would also prevent de Blasio from charging them rent.
That such legislation is even needed points up the power of the teachers unions. In the past, the teachers unions have used their political clout to have laws and regulations enacted forcing charters to operate at a disadvantage.
To take just one example: City charters receive almost 30 percent less public funding per pupil than traditional schools and not a nickel for buildings.
This new bill would fix all these flaws.
How ironic: De Blasio thought he was squeezing charters by taking back space promised three of them, working to charge others rent — and declaring a moratorium on any future co-sharing of space between a charter and another public school.
But in acting in such a high-handed way, the mayor has inadvertently brought national attention to a sad reality:
The same charters that show that poor and minority children can learn find themselves hostage to the tender mercies of pols such as de Blasio. And in Congress, legislators noted that it’s not just New York: Across America, nearly a million children are on charter waiting lists because of political forces inhibiting charter expansion.
Meanwhile, our state Senate is moving its bill. The unions, of course, will fight, along with the pols they have in their pockets. But Senate co-leader Dean Skelos says he’s “committed to ensuring this public-school option.” And Gov. Andrew Cuomo vows: “We’re not going to be in a situation where charters stop — not if I have anything to do with it.”
So if this bill succeeds, we will have Bill de Blasio’s overreach to thank for it.