| However, I want to address an over-riding theme of the report upon which everyone seems to agree: The major piece of any solution to the challenges facing New York needs to include the concept of accountability.
Let me point to an early, successful example of that tenet: the 2002 Mayoral Control law for the NYC schools.
In that year, the legislature took a hard look at the de-centralized mess that was the New York City Public School System. What they found was a system crippled by a cumbersome bureaucracy and no real accountability for performance. Millions of dollars were being wasted on a system that was too political in its operation, too dangerous for its students and was disastrously failing to meet our Constitutional directive.
Realizing the need for accountability in the city's schools, the Legislature showed courage and the law passed with only five dissenting votes in Assembly and the Senate combined. We should thank those 177 lawmakers who had the foresight and courage to begin to reform a broken system that was failing our families.
Since then, the schools are safer, graduation rates are up and parents and students are seeing a more responsive, accountable public school system.
This law is up for renewal in 2009 and I think renewing the law would be a step in the right direction toward solidifying the accountability across the state that the commission recommends. That accountability has been delivered to other systems around the country where Mayoral Control has been adopted, including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland and Harrisburg.
The law can be improved with community input based upon the facts and the legislature can address concerns about fiscal transparency, but going back is not an option.
I have recently begun working with Learn NY, a non-profit organization founded by three of New York's most respected education reformers. We have launched a web site, Learn NY where everyone can come and find out more about the law, leave their suggestions and share their stories. I'll also be posting at Learn NY Blog.
As the legislative session approaches, I'll be talking more about accountability, education, and the commission's findings, but I wanted to bring the Mayoral Control law up for discussion and debate here; There is a lot of misinformation out there, but it's an issue that is too important to let it become a political football. |
