Posted by Lawmakers will pass a bill to boost the state’s looming cap on charter schools “within a week and in time for the deadline” to compete for up to $700 million in federal aid, a senior legislative official told The Post yesterday.
“It’s a good compromise that will meet the White House’s test,” the official said. “It’s a compromise that the teachers union will have some problems with and the charter-school advocates will have some problems with.”
The guarantee comes just days after Gov. Paterson called on lawmakers to immediately pass a package of dramatic education reforms designed to improve New York’s chances in the Obama administration’s $4.4 billion “Race to the Top” program.
State education officials believe the state could lose out on the funds if several laws — namely the nearly exhausted 200-school cap on charters — aren’t changed by a Jan. 19 deadline.
Only 23 open charter-school slots will remain after Tuesday, when the state Board of Regents is expected to approve seven more publicly funded, privately run schools in the city.
Some Paterson proposals are opposed by the powerful teachers unions, which back competing changes to increase oversight of charter-school spending and make it easier for charter teachers to unionize.
The legislative official would not provide more details on the compromise bill.
“With a good compromise, nobody is happy,” the official said. “But it will meet the federal requirement, which means a lot of federal money for New York.”
