By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Governor Pataki received the long-awaited report from his special Commission on Education Reform Monday. The panel, headed by former NASDAQ executive Frank Zarb, developed recommendations for overhauling the way the state funds its public schools.
The commission does recommend an increase in state spending on schools. It set a range of $2.5 billion to $5.6 billion, leaving it to the Legislature and the governor to choose the exact amount.
But even the higher end of that range falls $4 billion short of what the Campaign for Fiscal Equity is seeking in additional funding for schools. That's the group that successfully sued the state to overhaul the way it distributes school aid.
Campaign Executive Director Michael Rebell said it's now up to the state's elected leaders to act.
"The important thing is that there's a ream of data now," Rebell said. "There's no excuse for the Legislature not to focus on this in a very serious way, analyzing the data and coming up with a real solution before the court's July 30th deadline."
Besides simplifying the funding formula, the commission is also calling for greater accountability from school administrators. It recommends that tenure be eliminated for administrators and principals, replacing them with renewable three to five year contracts.
The commission also proposes closing troubled schools that fail to make sufficient improvements over a three-year period.