August 1, 2013
By Stephanie West
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education on July 18 to stop city plans to allow charter schools to share space in additional public schools after the Bloomberg administration leaves office. The union’s lawsuit against the Department of Education aims to stop new or expanded co-locations in 13 school buildings. But Mulgrew said that the mayor is planning “dozens and dozens” more co-locations before he leaves office on Dec. 31.
Blasting the mayor for trying to tie the hands of the next administration, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said that "The mayor is trying to control beyond the time that he is mayor, and we're not going to let that happen".
Nearly two-thirds of the city’s charter schools – 62 percent – are co-located with district schools, according to a report by the New York City Charter School Center.
With space for instructional programs in public schools decreasing in schools that house both a public school and charter school, parents and community groups are divided on the issue of shared space for charter schools. Parents of children in public schools across the city are increasingly upset with the placement of charters in public schools rather than increasing resources and improving local public schools.
