Mayor Bloomberg Retains Control Of NYC's Public Schools

New York City's hastily appointed seven-member Board of Education has voted to reappoint Schools Chancellor Joel Klein with full authority to run the school system.

The Board of Education was reinstated by city officials on Wednesday after the state Senate failed to act on a bill to renew Mayor Michael Bloomberg's control of the schools. The bill expired at midnight.

The new board's action gives Bloomberg continued control of the city school system. The mayor carefully prepared the way for the vote in meetings with board members before the panel convened.

At a news conference at City Hall, Bloomberg said the new board and his administration will do their best to keep city schoolchildren "from becoming victims of the Albany train wreck."

He said, "It will serve until Albany rectifies its inaction and reauthorizes mayoral control."

The board voted 7-0 to reappoint Klein during a nine-minute meeting. It also voted 6-0, with one abstention, to urge the state Senate to act on the mayoral control bill.

The board then adjourned until Sept. 10.

The city school system has 1.1 million students.

The state Senate has been paralyzed, with neither the Democrats nor the Republicans able to assert control. Efforts by Gov. David Paterson to end the chaos have so far been a failure.

Comments

[felixthecat]

Mayor states that mayoral control must passed and irregardless if the mayoral bill doesn't pass that summer schools will remain open. When a reporter asked Mayor Bloomberg is anyone suggested if summer schools should not be opened then doublespeak Bloomberg responded "why would anyone suggest not to serve the children?" then Gov Patterson. Bloomberg's crony stated that he will ensure resources are provided that summer schools remain open.

Again Bloomberg's uses rhetoric and lies to scare the public to have it HIS way. Schools will not be closed and Bloomberg is a disgrace to even suggest that they will be closed if mayoral control bill isn't passed