Teachers Unions put kids first

[Casino67]

NYPost.com:

Teachers unions and their anti-charter-school allies have pulled out the stops as they seek to blow up a bill that would more than double New York's charter cap.

New York's application for up to $700 million in reform-driven federal education cash is due in one week, and charter foes -- who couldn't care less about the cash or public-school reform -- are clearly getting desperate for some excuse to keep the cap in place.

If they succeed, kiss the money goodbye -- and probably the hugely successful charter-school experiment as well.

Just consider their latest attack.

According to reports from weekend negotiations, a key sticking point has become whether the State University system will retain its power to authorize charters, with anti-charter forces wanting to concentrate that authority solely with the Board of Regents.

But why?

At least previous union-driven poison pills, like starving charters for space by barring them from sharing existing school facilities, could be camouflaged as being in students' best interests.

But there's no remotely plausible good excuse for booting SUNY from the charter-authorizing business: It's a success even by the high standards of New York's charter movement.

SUNY-authorized schools post test scores higher than those (already high) at Regents-authorized charters. Yet SUNY's also the only state authorizer to close mediocre charter schools -- key to ensuring accountability.

So, what's going on? A power grab, pure and simple.

The Regents, see, owe their posts to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who's yet to weigh in on the bill. (The Senate passed it overwhelmingly last month.)

And the Assembly, in turn, answers directly to the teachers unions. Thus, with SUNY out of the picture, it'd be no heavy lift for them to strangle new charters in their cribs -- raised cap or no.

Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, who could make the difference on this point, has sided with the Assembly until now.

She needs to reverse course -- or live with the knowledge that she helped kill the charter experiment.

And she needs to do it now.

[clearvision]

I was about to do a rofl icon for the title as it is so unbelievable.