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Mayoral Control of Schools

Who Runs the Senate? (July 17 Edition)

ALBANY—So now that the Senate is nominallly a functioning body, who's running it? It's not an easy question to answer. "It's not a clear, bipartisan operating agreement, but it's not as though the Democrats have established clear control over the Legislature again and are consistently moving their agenda," Justin Phillips, a political science professor at Read More

Bloomberg Blasts Senate Over Schools Bill

ALBANY—Here's the final roll call on State Senator Kevin Parker's "better schools act," which failed last night by a margin of 40-15. Acting on the bill was basically a shot at Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Here's what Bloomberg had to say this morning on his weekly radio show on WOR: There were 15 people last night Read More

Obscene Gesture: Senate Dems Take Up Anti-Mayoral Control Bill

ALBANY—Not only have Democrats in the State Senate turned their back on Michael Bloomberg's vision of school governance legislation, they're mooning him. Senators will act on a bill—called the "Better Schools Act"—that is stridently opposed by the mayor because it dilutes his influence over the school system by eliminating his ability to appoint a majority Read More

Walcott: We’re Not Signing This Memo

ALBANY—Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott said that conversations with Democrats in the State Senate over school governance legislation are ongoing, but that representatives of New York City do not want to sign off on any chapter amendments or any kind of memorandum linked to a chapter amendment, as was proposed this morning. Which means that until Read More