OurSchoolsNYC interviewed Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio yesterday during his office's phone banking against the teacher layoffs. Here are some highlights from the full video: ~Bill would like to find other sources for the cuts, in DOE administration or technology costs ~He's not opposed to using the UFT health plan as a funding source, if there is an "iron-clad guarantee" that there will be no layoffs ~Bill chose not to be a party to the UFT/NAACP lawsuit because he felt it was "addressing a huge number of schools in many different situations" ~He's against co-location at 308 (not enough space) and Brandeis (not the right space) ~Bill tried to lay out a template last year for a "more democratic" process for engaging communities with potential school phase-outs, and after those negotiations failed with DOE his office is now approaching the issue "on a case-by-case basis" ~Bill met recently with Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) "as public advocate", is not opposed to charter schools and does not see any "conspiracy theory" with regard to preferential treatment for charters. He does believe that DOE has been a destabilizing force in their approach to co-locating new charter schools with already high-performing public schools or schools that are getting better

• published: 22 Jun 2011
• views: 545