NYC Mayoral Control Battle - A Lesson in Corrupting Influence

I have been following the battle going on in New York City over mayoral control of city schools. Just before Rudy Giuliani exited the stage in New York city, the legislature voted to attempt mayoral control for the schools as long as Rudy wasn't the guy (clearly thinking that a Democrat would win the mayors office and all of the various embedded special interests would be protected). When Mike Bloomberg pulled of the upset and won the election, the process moved forward and he took over the city's schools.

Why did this happen at all? For some time, NYC schools were controlled by a massive centralized bureaucracy mixed with local school boards. This patchwork "rule by committee" operation continued to fail the students, fail the parents, allow crumbling schools to endanger student and teacher alike in addition to spending that was absolutely out of control (with no effect). This system was a failure even by New York's liberal tolerance for corruption and waste of taxpayer dollars.

Along comes mayoral control. Mayor Bloomberg first put assessment and accountability into the system starting with himself. They measured the management, they measured the schools and they measured the teachers. They closed non-performing schools. They replaced them with better schools with more motivated teachers. They increased charter schools to engender healthy competition. They removed failing teachers and principals and replaced them with motivated professionals. And they got rid of many of the parasites who exist solely to feed off of the excesses of a failed system.

Given all of this, why is there a debate? Because this is New York. And the teachers union doesn't like accountability. And the special interests don't like that the money spigot was turned off and they want it turned back on. And the legislature is frankly so corrupt and tainted by money influence none of which has the students or their families in mind...and this has become a real debate.

By all measures this should be a success. But like most of what amounts to governing in the Northeast of this country, the lobbyists may well bring New York City back to the 70's. And that is just the way they like it. Shame.

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