With an anti-school-reform candidate, Bill de Blasio, holding a commanding lead in the mayoral campaign, City Hall is moving ahead—quickly—with plans to create or expand nearly two-dozen charter schools before the clock expires on the Bloomberg era.
To which the only response can be: Hurry up, please!
Charter schools have revolutionized public education in New York City over the last dozen years. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has presided over the creation of scores of the new-era schools, which receive city funds but are operated by private organizations. At the moment, some 183 charter schools operate rent-free in city-owned buildings. City Hall wants to expand that number as quickly as possible in case Mr. de Blasio prevails in next month’s election. The Democrat is an avowed enemy of charter schools and has said he will stop Mr. Bloomberg’s no-rent policy for many charters.
Make no mistake about it: Under a Mayor de Blasio, the charter revolution would come to an end, and it will be back to business as usual in public education—all the more reason to get moving on new or expanded charters right now.
