Editorial: School ‘Reform’ Toll Limited

To a large degree, the education “reforms” agreed to by leaders of the State Legislature with Governor Cuomo appear not to greatly undercut Teachers’ rights or true mayoral control of the city school system after a whittling-down of the more-onerous changes sought by the Governor and a significant increase in statewide funding.

Teachers will now have to work four years before qualifying for tenure, splitting the difference between the longtime three-year standard and the Governor’s push for five years. Consistently low-performing schools will not be taken over by the state but will have their leadership changed after either one year or two, a reduction from the three-year program Mayor de Blasio’s administration set in place last November.