March 30, 2015
By Neal Tepel, LaborPress Editorial
New York, NY – New Yorkers clearly do not support Governor Cuomo's dictatorial approach to education policy. Nearly two-thirds of them have given the chief executive a failing grade on education, and his overall approval rating is at its lowest level ever.
The governor's efforts to vilify teachers and their unions have backfired. And his strong-arm tactics have only resulted in polls showing that, on education, New Yorkers trust teachers a lot more than they trust Cuomo.
Legislators also strongly oppose much of Governor Cuomo's controversial education policies. The chief executive's plan for a state takeover of local schools based on test scores, is getting a cool reception from both voters and lawmakers. Even the Senate education proposal avoids endorsing Cuomo's plans for high stakes testing and state takeover of local schools.
It's time for the governor to start working with the legislature in earnest, so that a realistic plan can be developed – one that will improve and fund school districts properly. Cuomo's "my way or the highway" approach is simply not working.
