Advocates offer praise, some of it measured, for state budget's charter school deal

New York City Charter School Center CEO James Merriman took a measured tone while praising the charter school deal that came out of state budget negotiations.

In a statement released Saturday morning, Merriman credited Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Senate for the deal, which ensured that the New York City’s 183-school sector will continue to expand. The deal requires the city to provide new or expanding schools with co-location plans or pay for a part of their private facilities costs, which includes rent.

“Governor Cuomo meant what he said and said what he meant and because of his leadership, and the good work of our legislature, particularly the state senate, we have secured the future growth of New York City’s charter sector,” Merriman said, referring to Cuomo’s outspoken support for charter schools. “We are grateful.”

Merriman also mentioned a shout-out for Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose chilly relationship with the charter sector has thawed in recent weeks. “We are also heartened by Mayor de Blasio’s clear efforts to work with charter leaders,” the statement continues.

Merriman did not criticize another part of the deal, which involves how charter schools are funded. Charter schools will likely receive significantly less than district schools in per-pupil funding increases under the deal, prompting Merriman and other advocates to mount a last-minute lobbying offensive this week to nix the plan.

Merriman barely alluded to those concerns in his statement, instead focusing on what he believed were the positives.

A separate group of charter school leaders, which has cozied up to de Blasio, called the “modest increase in per-pupil aid next year” a “welcome development.” But the group, called the Coalition of Community Charter Schools, raised concerns about many schools in private facilities that won’t benefit from the state budget.

“Many charter schools in private facilities have added thousands of seats to the system at their own expense and will not see relief under this budget,” the statement says.

A member of the coalition, Renaissance Charter School Principal and founder Stacey Gauthier, was more critical in an interview. She said that her school, which is unionized and must pay for teachers’ pension and healthcare obligations, needed all the money in per-pupil funding that it could get. Since funding increases would be capped at $500 over the next three years, she said, the school would take a big financial hit.

“I find that really horrendous,” Gauthier said. “I run my building on per-pupil money. I think it’s a tremendous loss.”

Merriman’s statement also played the role of mediator, calling for an end to what has been a weeks-long campaign waged in support of the legislation by Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz and her allies (Merriman’s group among them).

“With many fiscal and legal uncertainties now settled,  it is the time for all of us to put aside politics, ads, rallies, divisive rhetoric and campaigning, and instead continue our shared task of delivering the best possible education to all of our children,” the statement said.

Jeremiah Kittredge, who heads Families for Excellent Schools, the group that funded the campaign, said Cuomo and the legislature “responded to a groundswell of parent voices, and made a historic down payment on ensuring all public school families are treated equally.”

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