With Bill Thompson sitting in the front row, Michael Bloomberg told a roomful of people in midtown that he will continue pushing for mayoral control of schools and that he won't let the city's education system "go back" to its previous system.

The event was sponsored by Rev. Al Sharpton and his group, the National Action Network. Sharpton sat in the seat next to the podium as Bloomberg thanked him for his work, with Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, pushing for education reform.

Thompson, who previously was head of the Board of Education, which Bloomberg disbanded, sat politely and nodded as the mayor spoke.

Bloomberg said that there is accountability for students, teachers and the mayor under the new system.

In a Q&A with reporters before the event, Bloomberg was asked how he felt about some of Sharpton's critical comments about Wall Street amid the fiscal crisis.

Bloomberg said he considered Sharpton a "calming influence" on the city.

Another reporter asked about the mayor's outspoken support of Barack Obama's health care plan. Bloomberg said he wants to support good policy, and added, "I am not trying to to tie myself to the administration."

Reporters also tried asking campaign-related questions.

One asked for Bloomberg's reaction to comments once made Independence Party activist Fred Newman, a newfound supporter of the mayor's re-election campaign, who has at times seemed to be say it's OK for therapists to have sex with their patients.

Bloomberg said he isn't familiar with the comment and declined to discuss it further. I asked Bloomberg about his recent meeting with Newman, which was reported by The New York Times last week.

Bloomberg said it was a private meeting and that he doesn't discuss details of private meetings.

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