It's official. The anticipated State Senate vote re-authorizing mayoral control of the New York City schools took place this afternoon; senators voted 47-8 in favor of the legislation, according to news sources. A few vocal opponents argued against its passage up to the end, according to the Daily News . The News reported that Senator Shirley Hunter, a "an outspoken critic of mayoral control," had harsh words for some of her fellow senators whom she said struck a deal with Mayor Bloomberg.
GothamSchools.org, which has been following the mayoral control muddle closely, has a good round-up of news coverage. It also notes that the Senate approved the four amendments to the State Assembly bill that will "create a parent training center, an arts council, yearly school safety meetings, and expanded oversight of principals by superintendents." The amendments fall far short of the checks and balances on the mayor's power that many parent advocates, including Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters, have lobbied for.
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