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Learn NY, an advocacy group among many contending for a chance to influence the Legislature’s decision on mayoral control of the public school system, is not alone. A thrush of political maneuvering is taking place inside the Senate chambers, suggestions are being made in the Assembly, political candidates are weighing in and parents and their representatives are all hoping for a voice in the decision.

Though the State Senate promised a bill by the end of the day Monday, all that came out of the meeting was a slew of reasons why the members disagree, mainly focused on the fears that they have regarding supporting a mayor who may seek to push the Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Prior to 2002, when the Legislature granted the mayor control over the Dept. of Education, and Bloomberg was given the ability to appoint a chancellor, schools were run by individual school boards that had authority over everything from staffing to school curriculum and zoning. Under legislation granting mayoral control, schools were handed citywide mandated curricula. All matters from class size to textbook selection were dictated by the chancellor. Mayoral Control abolished schools boards, and replaced them with the Community Education Councils, which serve strictly in an advisory capacity.

Individual schools are now answerable to the 13-member Panel for Educational Policy, eight of whom – including the Schools Chancellor Joel Klein – the mayor appointed himself. Critics of the DOE say that it is ineffectual, and only rubber-stamps mandates by Bloomberg and the Chancellor.

Dmytro Fedkowskyj, the sole representative from Queens, recently testified before members of the State Assembly’s Education Committee that he, like Learn NY, supports the continuation of mayoral control, so long as certain provisions are implemented.

“While I may be part of a small group that supports Mayoral Control, I have a hard time supporting the current system if the law is not revised to require fiscal transparency with some additional checks and balances on the mayor’s power,” he said. “Fiscal transparency entails being open to the public about the structure and functions that determine policies and outcomes.”

“We can say, because the numbers don’t lie, that the mayor’s bold leadership has driven more operational and capital funding into our school system – and that’s a good thing,” he added. “But this same bold leadership has also worked as a disadvantage to the current system, because there’s no oversight…millions of dollars have been spent on no-bid contracts, without PEP approval, so I ask: who is being accountable to who with tax payer dollars?”

Fedkowskyj went on to say that the authority of the PEP, which was meant to be a check on the mayor’s decisions, was sometimes bypassed.

Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows), introduced with State Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn) legislation which would eliminate no bid contracts signed by the Dept. of Education. Lancman’s office claims that one in every five contracts that were dispensed by the DOE exceeded estimated costs by 25 percent.

Fedkowskyj testified that right now, the PEP can only approve total estimates of the DOE expense budgets, but not how and where to spend the money. He also said that the CECs need local governing power while they work in conjunction with the district offices on curriculum, and other localized school issues.

Fedkowskyj and Learn NY support a renewal of mayoral control legislation, but with different provisions. The Learn NY advocacy group, which is comprised of 50 educational organizations, community- and faith-based institutions, was formed to rally support for the continuation of mayoral control.

Learn NY does not want to see funding issues divided between multiple entities, such as the PEP. They believe that a centralized control of the school system is a positive thing, holding that previous to 2002, there was no one party which parents could hold accountable for education issues.

The group claims that the new system has provided many benefits: it holds schools to equal standards for curricular accomplishment; funding is distributed based on need – $350 million of which has been reallocated from central bureaucracy to schools and students; more than 90 chronically failing schools have been replaced with 350 smaller schools, giving parents more choices; all public school teachers are certified; and school crime rates are down 34 percent.

Learn NY supports audits for financial transparency, either at the City or State level, as the public, they think, would benefit from objective, independent analysis of performance data. The group also wishes to facilitate increased, and more informed, parental input. They believe that parents deserve a system for ready access of information on their child’s performance and school.