NYC Chancellor Challenges Cuomo's Education Proposals

New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña on Tuesday unequivocally disagreed with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to alter teacher evaluations by increasing the weight of student test scores and significantly decreasing the role of observations by school principals.

"I absolutely believe that holding teachers accountable only on test scores and by outside evaluators is not a good idea,” said Fariña while answering lawmakers’ questions during a joint legislative budget hearing in Albany.

Fariña also testified that the city’s charter cap of 250 is “reasonable,” whereas the governor proposed raising the cap statewide by 100. And she asked the state to fulfill its obligation to fund schools as mandated by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. This year alone, she said, New York City was being shortchanged approximately $2.6 billion in state education funding.

Fariña spoke civilly, matter-of-factly and did not call Cuomo’s proposals an “assault” on education — language used by the state and city’s teachers unions. But her testimony made clear that New York City had its own vision of how to support struggling schools, co-locate schools in one building and impose accountability among school staff. And that vision was not aligned with the governor's.

Fariña escaped a lengthy Q&A, since members of the Assembly were absent from the hearing to vote on a new Speaker. Questions from remaining Senate members appeared sympathetic to the city's education agenda.

The city's budget testimony comes as the perpetual debate over education funding, charter schools and how to evaluate teachers takes an even nastier turn.

The city and state teacher's unions each released their own television ads accusing Cuomo of blaming teachers and putting his political agenda ahead of the needs of children. (Cuomo's proposed increase in state education funding is tied to the legislature adopting his reforms.)

Charter advocates were also in Albany Tuesday to lobby for more funding, access to school space and lifting the charter school cap.