Campaign to Keep Schools Under the NYC Mayor's Thumb

Jennifer Medina & Elissa Gootman:

Close allies of the Bloomberg administration have set up a political organization to campaign for renewal of the landmark state law giving New York City's mayor control of its public schools, hiring a veteran operative and planning to raise up to $20 million for television advertisements, lobbying and grass-roots organizing.

The group, called Mayoral Accountability for School Success, is officially headed by three well-known and respected city figures, among them a nun lauded for her work with struggling students and a popular Harlem minister. But it is backed by top City Hall and Education Department officials, for whom persuading Albany to extend mayoral control is the No. 1 goal for the school year that starts on Tuesday.

The group filed papers in recent weeks to become designated a 501(c)(4), a nonprofit that can lobby and participate in political campaign activity. The move is the first salvo in the pitched battle expected to unfold between now and the end of June 2009, when the 2002 law giving Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg authority over the nation's largest school system is set to expire.

Renewal is crucial to Mr. Bloomberg's legacy, since he has staked his reputation on overhauling the schools and has repeatedly argued that without City Hall at the wheel, the system would be doomed to fail.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 4, 2008 5:33 AM
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