By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Gov. David Paterson submitted a bill Thursday to eliminate the cap on charter schools, putting New York in the running for $700 million in federal funding for education.
New York state currently caps the number of charter schools at 200, making it ineligible for the Obama administration’s $4 billion in "Race to the Top" grants for schools that institute comprehensive education reforms.
"I have personally spoken with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and federal officials about New York’s "Race to the Top" and the specific steps we need to take to be competitive in this process,” Paterson said in a statement.
“I am confident that this piece of legislation will increase our competitiveness to be awarded funding in the first round.”
The teacher’s union has traditionally been in favor of retaining the cap because charter school teachers are usually not union members.
“The current law allows charter schools to operate without the transparency in their finances and operations that officials and the public need to judge their success.
"We are urging the Legislature not to consider any other action on charter schools, including the potential lifting of the charter school cap.”
The legislation removing the cap must be law by Jan. 19 to meet the “Race to the Top” application deadline.
Paterson’s bill would also give the state the power to take over poorly performing schools and do away with a 2008 law prohibiting standardized test scores from playing a role in hiring decisions.
