Education Update - Cover Story

FAMOUS INTERVIEWS

Directories:

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Sections:

Teachers of the Month

Archives:

New York City

August 2001

NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATES FORUM ON EDUCATION


Herman Badillo	Michael Bloomberg	Fernando Ferrer	Mark Green	Alan Hevesi	Peter Vallone

*If you have Internet Explorer click on the pics to view more info*

Welcome to Education Update’s forum of the Mayoral candidates addressing public education. The citizens of NYC will cast their votes based on consideration of the positions of the candidates in other areas besides education. But increasingly, the public has become concerned about the failure of the public school system, and the candidates have all indicated that education will be a priority of their administrations.

Each candidate was provided with nine questions and asked for an interview. Of the six major party candidates—Republicans Herman Badillo and Michael Bloomberg, and Democrats Fernando Ferrer, Mark Green, Alan Hevesi and Peter Vallone—Badillo and Hevesi scheduled personal interviews, Green supplemented his written responses with a brief telephone interview, and the other three emailed their responses.

Perhaps the most heated topic concerned public school governance. Four of the candidates favor elimination of the Board of Education in favor of direct Mayor accountability for the schools. The exceptions are Ferrer, who believes no change is necessary, and Alan Hevesi, who favors expanding the Board to eleven members, giving four more appointments to the Mayor. Green and Badillo would rely on either a separate group monitoring the system or the City Council checking on the Mayor.

All of the candidates, except Bloomberg, have extensive political experience and are quite knowledgeable about education. Bloomberg certainly has executive experience. Hevesi has announced the formation of a new party, the Education Party, that will place his name on the November ballot.

If whoever is elected lives up to his campaign promises, it appears we will have a Mayor who plans to bring about significant changes in the public schools.

—Stuart Dunn (interviews conducted with help from Dr. Pola Rosen and Sarah Elzas)

Each candidate was asked the following questions. Click to read their responses.
	Do you believe the current governance of the New York City public school system needs revision? (responses)
	What do you think are the primary problems with the NYC public schools? (responses)
	Do you support merit pay for teachers? (responses)
	How would you assure safety and order in the schools? What changes need to be made in reporting or prevention? (responses)
	How would you go about getting a fair share of the state education budget for NYC? (responses)
	Do you support the charter schools program? Would you expand/limit it? (responses)

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2001.

COVER STORY

NYC Mayoral Candidates Forum On Education

DIRECTORIES