Tightening school control
Bill gives mayor only 2 years
Albany legislators want to whittle down an extension of control over the city’s public schools to just two years, a plan Mayor Adams warned would “harm” Big Apple students.
The new bill introduced late Monday would force the city to cut counselor and social worker positions plus art programs, school trips, after-school tutoring and dyslexia screenings — a key issue the mayor has championed — Adams said Tuesday night.
“While we believe all parties are operating in good faith, we also believe the legislation as currently written is not the best we can do for New York City students, and we look forward to addressing these concerns in the coming days,” Adams argued.
Gov. Hochul had originally proposed a four-year extension of mayoral control, with no changes to school governance structures.
“Governor Hochul has made it clear that extending mayoral control is a priority before the end of session, and we look forward to reviewing the bill when passed by both houses,” her rep said.
The bill comes alongside another to reduce class sizes throughout the city to under 25 students, with exemptions. The Post previously reported such a bill could be tied into extending mayoral control.
Expanding PEP
The school control draft legislation also adds new checks on the mayor’s power — including an expansion of the Panel for Educational Policy, the city’s pseudo-school board, from 15 to 23 voting members next school year. Under the proposal, five of the PEP appointees would still be made by borough presidents.
An additional five, one from each borough, would be voted in by parent-led Community Education Council presidents to represent families’ interests.
To keep the mayor’s supermajority, Adams would get to pick the remaining 13 members on the panel — up from nine, the current makeup. Four of those members would have to be parents of public school students, including children with disabilities or those who are learning English.
Members will be appointed for one-year terms, and the bill includes language that protects them from being removed for voting against the mayor or borough president who appointed them. In prior administrations, mayors had the authority to ax appointees, and sometimes did so.
The changes also add the city comptroller, currently Brad Lander, as a nonvoting member.
Also under the bill, the chancellor is charged with establishing the process for the parent-led council presidents to elect members, and to remove members or fill vacancies. Members would also be required to complete trainings on handling city funds.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said the bill “will guarantee more independence for the members of [PEP].”