By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Governor Eliot Spitzer is calling for dramatic changes in the way schools in New York are funded and held accountable.
The governor plans to hold schools to a "contract for excellence" to improve student performance. If the schools don't perform up to standards, Spitzer says they could be closed. Under his plan, schools would have to defend their use of tax dollars in return for an historic increase in aid from the state.
Spitzer also announced that he is appointing Rochester Schools Superintendent Manuel Rivera as his deputy secretary of education.
Spitzer did propose an increase in the number of charter schools in New York from the current limit of 100 to 250. But his proposal would include "transition aid" to cities such as Buffalo which have high enrollment in charter schools.
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