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Arnold Duncan, meet Albany. Whaddya think?

This is the question Governor Paterson and state lawmakers are trying to figure out right now, 48 hours from the deadline for the federal Race to the Top competition.

They’re spending the final hours mulling whether to pass legislation that — depending on who you talk to — would either bolster the state’s chances of winning the race, and as much as $700 million, or would be a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” imperiling New York’s odds, as Mayor Bloomberg said in a strongly worded statement this afternoon.

The legislation being circulated right now would double the charter school cap to allow 200 new schools in the state. It would also severely rewrite how the schools are opened and closed and in which neighborhoods they’re allowed, following many of the suggestions proposed by the teachers union last week. These include eliminating the city’s power to authorize charter schools, as well as that of the most respected authorizer, the State University of New York, which even authorized the UFT’s own charter school.

(Read the latest legislation here.) (more…)

Billy Easton of the Alliance for Quality Education in Albany just sent around this TV-watching guide to reporters:

Campaign for Better’s Schools’ Zakiyah Ansari will be on ABC this Sunday morning at 11 AM with Diane Sawyer.  The segment was filmed today, and features a moderated discussion about mayoral control with Zakiyah, Peter Hatch from Learn NY and Tamara Rowe from the Parent Commission.  Tune in and check it out!

UPDATE: It’s not Diane Sawyer hosting the debate, but Diana Williams, of Up Close with Diana Williams on Eyewitness News 7.