Right now, Mayor Bill de Blasio must be thinking that mayoral control of the schools is not such a great idea. Michael Bloomberg demanded mayoral control when he was first elected mayor in 2001. The State Legislature turned the schools over to the billionaire. Despite specious claims of a “New York City Miracle,” the problems remained serious. The mayor broke almost all the large high schools into small schools. He embraced charters as an engine of innovation, which they were not.
Now de Blasio is trying to deal with a major publuc health crisis that has hurt the city’s economy, and the dilemma of reopening is on his desk.
The Council of Supeervisors and Administrators passed a resolution of no confidence in both de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Ya’ll can hate on charter schools as much as you want but right now, at this very moment, each of these schools has a plan for reopening—be it remote, hybrid or in person—and is NOT giving mixed messages to the families that depend on them. At my school, we have gained the trust of our families by communicating frequently and openly. They know that our decisions on based upon the collective best interests of our community and staff.
Try to put aside your anti-charter school bias—just for one minute—if you are able. Because charter schools can make decisions locally, we are far better able to be responsive to our communities than large bureaucratic districts. Just sayin.
I do not deny the problems of the charter school sector. But right now you are touching upon one of the very reasons that sets these schools apart and one of the reasons why families choose them.
Peace.
The biggest charter chain in NYC—Success Academy—is totally remote. No in-person instruction.
The Catholic schools seem to be in-person five days a week.
Flerp, some might have closed in Chicago. 😐
Steve Zimmerman,
You aren’t giving “mixed messages” because YOU decided what was in the “collective” best interests of your community and staff. I have no doubt that you listened to them and then did whatever it was you wanted to do.
And since it is a charter, you can just invite the parents and staff who don’t like what you decide is in their “collective” best interests to leave.
The reason no one complains is because they don’t have any right to complain. They have the right to leave.
Talk about patting yourself on the back because you believe you must be perfect because no one is complaining to you! It never occurs to you that you set up a “democratic” system where you decide and everyone else can vote with their feet and leave if they don’t like it.
A REAL public school system doesn’t have that luxury. NYC is trying to accommodate families that want some in-person learning and families that want all-remote. NYC is trying to accommodate teachers who have health concerns about teaching in person.
Ah, there is nothing like a round of self-congratulation to provide a bracing start to the day–and howling, derisive laughter! Thanks for your self-approval; I’m sure it feels wonderful.
I know many people are angry with all sides of this re-opening plan. However, I can’t feel sorry for many NYC principals. They play games with oversized classes, claim an emergency when giving teachers four classes in a row, and basically ignore the contract whenever they think they can get away with it. The UFT ensured that teachers wouldn’t be teaching 10 classes a day. If it were up to the principals, they would claim an emergency only to slither in to criticize some poor untenured schlub while they are in their fourth hour of zooming. Not all are like this, but there are far too many of the “graduates” of Bloomberg’s leadershi! Academy. They brought this on themselves.
You are exactly right about this RL. Thanks for saying so.
I am reminded of an AP who was no friend to teachers (for all of the reasons listed above) who suddenly found herself under fire when test-and-punish hit our district’s low income schools: she would come into teachers’ rooms and complain, even cry, but how do you feel sympathy?
In Chicago, Harold Washington (1983-1987) is the only mayor I’m aware of, who attended and graduated from Chicago Public Schools. ☹️
Arne Duncan is the only CEO (Superintendent) who attended and graduated from CPS. ☹️
Also, current CEO Janice Jackson too. Oops. 😁🔔
Eddie, you make some great comments, here, so this is just a ?, not a criticism, but what’s your point?
(& yeah, Arne may have graduated from CPS, but he’s a major domo privatizer & just raking in the $$$$$ from yet another company that hurts the publics–all over the country. The Obama Admin., which we rejoiced over, as we thought it would be the end of NCLB, designed Race to the Top, often described here as “NCLB on steroids,” praised charter schools–they proclaimed “Charter Schools Week” & ran down schools & their teachers, Central Falls High as one such example.)
Not in NYC but the detailed list of reasons for “no confidence” justify that judgment. Covid-19 is a challenge for education everywhere, but the proposed “solutions” strike me as throwing stuff into documents and hoping it makes enough sense to work.