From Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office:
I am extremely proud of the Race to the Top application New York submitted today. We have advanced a broad set of reform proposals that will raise standards, make our tests more rigorous and help us to recruit, train and hold accountable our teachers and school leaders. The state’s proposal is a road map to finally turning around New York’s failing schools and closing the achievement gap. I am disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement on charter schools and strengthen New York’s Race to the Top application. The bill we put forth would double the number of charter schools across New York State while making them subject to greater accountability and transparency. Furthermore, charter schools would have to meet higher health and safety standards, serve our neediest children and meet the high performance standards set by the federal government. I remain committed to working with our partners in government to authorize the creation of 200 additional charter schools while meeting these goals.
