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 something very basic gives, there will be no deal between the Senate and the Assembly (and the governor, and City Hall) on mayoral control of schools.
"Unfortunately, all roads seem to lead through a chapter amendment," Walcott just told reporters, stressing a written commitment from conference leaders to one of the co-sponsors of an Assembly bill that largely maintains the mayor's control of schools that that measure would be voted on.
Walcott said he met this morning with Senators Shirley Huntley and Martin Malave Dilan for "very interactive discussion" at the request of Democratic leaders. He said he believes many of the concerns they raised could be addressed without an MOU or amendment.
"They've laid out pieces of what they define as an MOU, but as I mentioned to you earlier, some of those components of an MOU such as waivers, such as police, such as an arts council, the parent training pieces," Walcott said. "Those are all individual things that I've communicated some response to senate members that they may be acceptable not necessarily through an MOU, but some that I think could be accomplished without going through a chapter amendment or an MOU, but that could be done administratively."
