Back of the pack: Albany is flubbing schools' chance for Race to the Top funding

Editorials

Sunday, January 17th 2010, 4:00 AM

The Democratic bosses of the state Legislature are playing with fire - and threatening to burn both New York's children and the taxpayers in the process.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and state Senate conference boss John Sampson appeared willing Friday to forgo any shot at up to $700 million in federal education aid out of blind resistance to the nationwide tide of school reform.

Governors and legislatures of virtually every other state are scrambling to apply for big infusions of funding by meeting criteria set by President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Not New York.

Here, in the tight grip of teachers unions, the Legislature has ruled out requiring the use of student achievement data in evaluating, compensating and, in the worst cases, dismissing teachers.

Here, the Legislature has refused to cleanly lift the cap on charter schools, as urged by Duncan. Worse, the Democrats' proposed bill would, in effect, bar the expansion of charters in the city by making it virtually impossible to move into a public school building.

Here, the Board of Regents and the state's supposedly crackerjack reformers - Chancellor Merryl Tisch, Education Commissioner David Steiner and Senior Deputy Commissioner John King - have, under legislative sway, reduced much of New York's reform agenda to a wish list.

Dream. Dream. Dream.

But do not fantasize that a head fake here and some fudged language there will persuade Duncan to put the state at the top of the pile for Race to the Top funding. It won't happen, and poof will go the money New York schools so desperately need.

Would Silver and Sampson be so recklessly wrongheaded as to kiss that money goodbye? History says yes. Remember: Silver's Assembly was willing to turn its back on $350 million in federal mass transportation funding when the Legislature refused to enact congestion pricing.

New York has a hard deadline of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to submit an application to Duncan. On Friday, Gov. Paterson attempted to prod Silver and Sampson into action and provoked only a show of hostility toward charter schools.

In fact, they appeared headed toward the worst of all worlds: legislation that both crimps charter schools and dooms New York's chance for aid.

Meanwhile, other states are turning their education systems upside-down to shine in the Race to the Top competition.

Colorado is working on a bill to require education officials to report on how well teachers and principals boost achievement.

Under Tennessee's plan, student achievement data will count for 50% in teacher evaluations and tenure decisions.

Louisiana wants to link teacher pay directly to student performance.

Florida is revamping how teachers are paid and how failing schools are overhauled.

Illinois has given school districts firm deadlines for renegotiating teacher contracts to conform with Race to the Top goals; if the districts can't, the state will nullify the contracts.

And, here, Silver and Sampson have dug in their heels. As Paterson warned them Friday, "This is not Race to the Middle, it's Race to the Top." Barring last-minute enlightenment, they're about to cause irreparable damage.