ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pleaded with state lawmakers on Tuesday not to extinguish his control of city schools as closed-door negotiations between legislators and Gov. Andrew Cuomo failed to produce results and time began to run out on the legislative session.
Joined by former U.S. Secretary Education Arne Duncan, de Blasio told reporters on a teleconference that there’s still time for lawmakers to strike a deal that would extend mayoral control of schools in his city. Lawmakers plan to end their annual session on Wednesday.
“It will reflect badly on everyone if this is not resolved,” he said, adding a message for leaders in Albany: “Lock yourselves in a room until you get there.”
The policy giving the mayor oversight over city schools was first implemented in 2002 under Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg but will expire June 30 unless lawmakers again renew it. Top lawmakers from both parties favor the extension but Republicans won’t support it unless Democrats agree to raise a cap on the number of charter schools in New York City. Last year lawmakers extended the policy for a single year.
If no deal materializes soon lawmakers could prolong their session or leave Albany without an agreement - possibly returning later this summer to try again.
Emerging from Cuomo’s office Senate Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island, was asked if a deal was near.
“No, not yet,” he said. “I think I’ve made it pretty clear that we think charter schools should be an integral part of any discussion of mayoral control.”
Flanagan wants to permit more charter schools in the city to give families greater choices. Currently there’s room for 23 new charters in the city under the state’s cap, but charter supporters say the limit must be raised now so new charters don’t bump up against the cap.
If mayoral control were to lapse, control of city schools would revert to a single board of education and many local districts. The city estimates that could create $1.6 billion in added administrative costs over 10 years. Supporters of mayoral control say it has led to higher academic performance and programs such as universal pre-kindergarten.
“If we were to lose mayoral control in New York for whatever reason I think it’s unquestionable that harm would be done to children,” said Duncan, who was former President Barack Obama’s top education official.
Lawmakers worked through dozens of other bills Tuesday as they sought to wrap up their work for the year.
Hopes dimmed for a proposal to loosen the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse to give victims more time to file lawsuits or seek criminal charges. The measure has passed the Assembly but Flanagan said the Senate would not take it up.
Meanwhile, Cuomo and top lawmakers announced a deal on legislation that would require the state to buy American-made steel for bridges and other state construction projects.
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