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I’d call it more of a time-saver, since the toothless panel rubber-stamps whatever Mayor Mike wants anyway. At least this way, though, there’ll be a public record of the nonsense they deem worthwhile.

Let’s hope other elected officials learn from Liu’s example; and write letters and issue press releases about DOE’s attempts to evade the law.

I liked that story, but I’m sure you know it ended in a rubber stamp vote that not one of the mayor’s people would stand up and defend after Manhattan rep Patrick Sullvan asked them to. I believe they delayed one of their new schools, actually voting down a relocation, but that they will find a new place for it soon.

Bloomberg will fire his people before allowing them to vote their conscience, and has done so in the past. NYC education is nothing resembling democracy, which is why Bill Gates is so free to experiment here.

It was maybe five or six years ago when they were voting on use of one of those ridiculous tests that would end social promotion. I think two of Bloomie’s people and the Staten Island rep were planning to vote no and they were all replaced before the vote. It was a big deal at the time, in all the papers.

It was March 2004,

In March 2004, three members of the successor to the board of education, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), opposed the mayor’s plan for ending social promotion. So the mayor and the Staten Island Beep simply replaced them with people who voted the way they wanted. The PEP hasn’t bucked Bloomberg since. In seven PEP meetings this year 10 votes were taken. There were votes of “no” on only two occasions, both in the minority.

Village Voice