Tom Menino in Teachers Under Attack!, by Mike Spina


On Education: First mayor to gain control of big-city school system

Is there a current trend to give mayors of large cities the decision making power over school districts? It would certainly appear so. As of March, 2009, 11 of the country's largest cities had school districts being controlled by mayors and the number has probably increased since then.

[NYC Mayor Mike] Bloomberg is the most visible of the mayors in this position since he runs the largest city in the US. In 1992 Boston Mayor Thomas Menino was actually the first city mayor to gain control of his city's school system. Bloomberg followed suit when he was elected in NYC and other big city mayors have followed.

The single biggest reason that a mayor should not control a school district is that it would put too much power in the hands of the single chief executive of both the city and its schools. It is a recipe for disaster because the mayor in control will be primarily obligated to govern the city first, and that could come at the expense of the school system.

Source: Teachers Under Attack!, by Mike Spina, p.162-163 Feb 17, 2011

The above quotations are from Teachers Under Attack!
How NJ Governor Chris Christie's Personal Vendetta Against Teachers Will Destroy Public Education

by Mike Spina.
Click here for other excerpts from Teachers Under Attack!
How NJ Governor Chris Christie's Personal Vendetta Against Teachers Will Destroy Public Education

by Mike Spina
.
Click here for other excerpts by Tom Menino.
Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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