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Running for: Mayor

Political party: Democratic

Current job: City Councilman in District 19, Queens

Web site: TonyAvellaForMayor.com

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1. Have you been endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers? No  

2. Have you received campaign contributions from the following education-related political action committees?

Democrats for Education Reform No
United Federation of Teachers No
Council of School Supervisors and Administrators No
New York Education Voters No
Educational Justice PAC No

3. Do you have children in the public school system? No

4. Do you support programs like Teaching Fellows and Teach for America? Yes

5. Do you support efforts to stop the growth of charter schools? Yes

6. Would you preserve school report cards as they are now? I’m interested in efforts to ensure that they are always translated into the language the parents speak.

7. Do you believe test scores should be a factor in determining whether teachers receive tenure?  No

8. Do you support the 2009 law giving the mayor control of the public schools? No, it gives the mayor too much power.

9. What letter grade would you give the city’s public schools right now? C

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10. In the last eight years, have the city’s schools improved, stayed the same, or worsened? How? I think the schools have stayed the same, especially when you look at test scores. They haven’t really  improved.  

11. Do you support Joel Klein remaining chancellor of the city’s schools? No If not, who would you suggest to replace him? While I would fire Joel Klein immediately, I have not yet decided on a replacement for him. I would appoint an educator — someone with a background relevant to the position. Before making a decision I’d sit down and talk with educators, administrators, and parents to find out what they’re looking for in a chancellor. Then I’d decide who the best fit for our schools would be.

12. What’s an appropriate cap for charter schools, or should they exist at all (the current cap is 200 statewide)? Charter schools should not exist at all.

13. What’s the best way to improve a struggling public school? There’s not one single way to improve a struggling public school. I think we could start by lowering class size, give students more time to interact with their teachers, and make sure that the proper facilities exist, and that we have the most up-to-date equipment and technology in our schools.

14. What’s the single greatest problem facing the city’s schools and what specific policy would you propose to combat it? Teaching to the test is our biggest problem. When we teach students this way, we’re not actually educating them. As mayor, I would put an end to this practice and get teachers back to educating – not teaching kids how to take tests.