Standing just feet away from the Harlem Village Leadership Academy, mayoral candidate Joe Lhota was today joined by parents of charter school students in support of school choice for New York City families. Mr. Lhota has made the expansion of charter schools and overall public education reform a signature component of his campaign for mayor. He also shared some of the letters he’s received from charter school students in support of the movement.
Mr. Lhota blasted his opponent’s deep ties to special interests that have worked to block much-needed education reform to our public school system. He also condemned Mr. de Blasio’s plans to charge rent to charter schools and end the practice of co-location–positions that would effectively kill the charter school movement in the city. Mr. Lhota noted other prominent Democrats who support charter schools, such as President Obama, former President Bill Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, as proof of how extremist Mr. de Blasio’s positions are.
“We have a real choice in this election about our children’s future,” said Mr. Lhota. “We cannot let another year go by while our children are stuck in failing schools. For too long, we’ve allowed the special interests to control the agenda. The teachers have a union, the administrators have a union. Even the bus drivers have a union. What about the students? As mayor, I will be their union and put their needs first. We must do everything in our power to ensure all of our children get a quality education that prepares them for 21st Century.”
He continued, “The real reason the UFT and my opponent don’t like charter schools is because they are proving there is a more successful way and it involves reforms to the status quo. Mr. de Blasio is in the pocket of the UFT, who are spending millions to ensure their guy gets elected. He can’t be independent of them and have the tough negotiations needed to enact change. New Yorkers will have a choice between someone who wants to fix our public education system or my opponent who wants to protect the power of the union bosses and their insidious special interests.”
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}
