A report from an insider at the New York City Department of Education, in response to the first debate between Democratic candidate Bill di Blasio and Republican candidate Joe Lhota:

New York City last night was treated to two starkly different visions of public schools. We had a mayoral debate in which a progressive candidate who believes in voice for parents and communities battled a candidate in the pocket of corporations. The corporation candidate claimed that charter schools “absolutely deserve to be co-located.” The progressive candidate pointed out that he plans a moratorium on co-locations because “public school parents don’t have a voice in decisions about their own children and the building their children go to school in.“ He committed to giving parents a voice. Who has the true best interests of students at heart?

Here are the facts. Co-locations usually involve the closing or shrinking of existing schools. This process is rife with dishonesty and the manipulation of numbers. Parent and community voice is ignored. One year 14 out of 20 schools Bloomberg’s Department of Education wanted to close, in order to make room for other schools, scored above the criteria for closing a school as set by the very same department. Another school was closed even though the department’s own reviewers praised the school noting that “the positive impact is striking. Not only have the academics of individual students risen but also the effect throughout the whole school is evident for all to see.” Schools in Queens and in Manhattan were closed even though the data clearly showed that their scores were better than other schools serving similar student populations. Another school built a website showcasing extensive data demonstrating that the school in fact did a good job with its students. The department ignored the data and closed the school anyway.

Reports describe how co-locations involve taking resources and space from students in public schools in favor of those in the charter schools, leading to inequitable distribution or resources. Case studies have provided numerous examples of co-located charter schools that will only accept certain “types” of students leading to concentrations of poor students, students with special needs, and English Language Learners at the public schools in the very same building. Such inequity harms students.

There is no question that the facts support a halt to co-locations while a fair, honest and open process is established. We cannot allow direct harm to many students to continue in order to support politically privileged schools as has been the practice under Bloomberg. We need a mayor who will stand up to the demands of the powerful corporate charter lobby. We need a mayor who will defend students foremost.