Legally, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg鈥檚 control over the 1.1 million-student public school system in New York City expired last month, caught in the crossfire of an unrelated political battle in the state legislature.
In reality, though, Mr. Bloomberg鈥檚 grip on the nation鈥檚 largest school system remains tight, even though state lawmakers鈥攚ho had been feuding for five weeks over leadership of the New York Senate鈥攆ailed to pass legislation that would have extended his formal control beyond June 30.
Although supporters of mayoral control have feared that management issues would be difficult to handle without clear authority, the chaos that the mayor had predicted if the law wasn鈥檛 extended had not come to pass in the week after its expiration.
In fact, one day after the law that gave the mayor control of the schools lapsed, Mr. Bloomberg convened a seven-person board of education whose members include three deputy mayors who work for him and three other appointees who support him. In accordance with previous state law, Mr. Bloomberg himself appointed two members of the re-established board, while the city鈥檚 five borough presidents chose the rest. Before mayoral control, the board was the main governing body for the city鈥檚 schools, but it was disbanded when Mr. Bloomberg took over the school system in 2002.
In a July 1 meeting that lasted less than 10 minutes, the hours-old board made clear it had no intention of undoing the mayor鈥檚 education policies or replacing his choice for schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein. Only one appointee, Dolores M. Fernandez, who was selected to represent the Bronx, showed any sign of dissent when she abstained from voting twice.
鈥楻ubber-Stamp Board鈥�
鈥淣othing has changed,鈥� said Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University and an expert on the history of New York City鈥檚 public schools. 鈥淎ll of the parent groups and activists were so excited and hopeful that mayoral control would expire and things would change. Not so.
鈥淭his is a rubber-stamp board whose first act was to ask to be abolished and to turn over control to the mayor鈥檚 chancellor,鈥� said Ms. Ravitch, who has often criticized the Bloomberg administration in a blog she co-writes for edweek.org.
But one strong supporter of mayoral control said that while the Bloomberg-friendly board is the best possible stop-gap measure, it can鈥檛 ensure stability.
鈥淭he situation is very unstable and presents a huge threat to the progress that鈥檚 been made over the last seven years,鈥� said Kathryn S. Wylde, the president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for New York City, a group of business leaders who have been among the staunchest backers of mayoral control. Threats to progress, Ms. Wylde said, would be 鈥渢he first action that someone wants to challenge, whether it鈥檚 a decision to open or close a school or labor negotiations.
鈥淭his presents a whole new world of litigious possibilities,鈥� she said.
Mayor Bloomberg, who is running for election to a third term after succeeding in getting the city鈥檚 term-limit rule lifted last fall, didn鈥檛 expect to see the law that has given him near-complete authority over the school system expire, despite loud and persistent criticisms of his governance style from some parent groups and education scholars. (鈥淏loomberg鈥檚 Way,鈥� May 20, 2009.)
A measure to preserve mayoral control with some modest changes to check Mr. Bloomberg鈥檚 authority鈥攚hich he had endorsed鈥攈ad already been approved by the state Assembly, one chamber of the legislature.
鈥楢t a Standstill鈥�
That bill would preserve the mayor鈥檚 power to appoint the majority of members to an oversight board known as the Panel for Educational Policy, but would put some limits on what has been his near-unilateral authority to close schools and grant contracts.
But last month, a struggle over power erupted in the state Senate, with 31 Republicans and 31 Democrats deadlocked over who is in charge. That stalemate threw many unresolved legislative issues, including mayoral control, into political limbo. The old law expired before senators could agree to even hold a vote on the Assembly measure. Late last week, lawmakers appeared to have settled the leadership dispute, potentially clearing the way for action on key legislation, including mayoral control.
Mayoral control critics vowed to fight for more parental involvement and other changes.
鈥淭here are different organizations that will still fight the good fight,鈥� said Jane Hirschmann, a parent advocate who runs Time Out From Testing, an anti-testing group. 鈥淏ut this is a mayor who was able to get [a change in law to seek] a third term. He has lots of money and chits that he can call in.鈥�
