Hizzoner to court: Order education vouchers

By PAUL H.B. SHIN

August 23, 2000 Web posted at: 10:29 AM EDT (1429 GMT)

NEW YORK (The New York Daily News) -- Mayor Giuliani called yesterday for a court order to give students in the city's worst public schools immediate vouchers to help pay for private or parochial schools.

City lawyers raised the controversial issue in papers filed yesterday in a bitter court battle between state and city education officials over how to purge uncertified teachers from the city's worst-performing schools.

"Under the current system, the children stuck in failing schools with uncertified teachers are being shortchanged," Giuliani said.

Under the mayor's plan, students in the worst schools would be able to transfer to neighboring public schools or receive vouchers on demand beginning next month.

A Board of Education spokeswoman declined to comment yesterday, but the voucher issue drove a wedge last year between Giuliani and former Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew, a voucher opponent who was ousted from office in December.

The city's move marked a twist in the lawsuit filed by state Education Commissioner Richard Mills against Schools Chancellor Harold Levy, demanding that uncertified teachers be yanked from the city's 94 Schools Under Registration Review by next month. Levy has refused to comply, blaming the state for failing to produce enough qualified teachers.

Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers union, blasted the voucher plan, calling it "counterproductive" and "diversionary."

"It's a very, very sad and pathetic suggestion," she said.

But Deputy Mayor Tony Coles said Giuliani wants to "give students and parents a remedy for a situation that both the state and the Board of Ed has said they can't solve."

The mayor's proposal "provides an immediate remedy for students who this September are going to be assigned to failing schools with uncertified teachers," Coles said.

Attorneys for the state, city and the teachers union met with Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Joseph Bruno for 1 1/2 hours privately yesterday.

State attorneys filed a scathing rebuttal to Levy's argument blaming the state for the shortage of qualified teachers. They charged it was the board's "own refusal to timely recruit and hire adequate numbers of certified teachers into SURR schools that is the source of their failure."

For more Local news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

CT, New Haven, WTNH DC, Washington, WJLA MD, Baltimore, WBFF MA, Boston, WCVB MA, Springfield, WGGB MA, Boston, WHDH MA, Boston, WLVI MA, Springfield, WWLP NH, Manchester, WMUR NY, Albany, WNYT NY, Albany/Schenectady, WRGB NY, Binghamton, WBNG   NY, Binghamton, WICZ NY, Buffalo, WIVB NY, Buffalo, WKBW NY, Elmira, WETM NY, New York, NY1 NY, New York, WPIX NY, Rochester, R News NY, Syracuse, WIXT NY, Syracuse, WTVH NY, Watertown, WWNY NY, Watertown, WWTI   PA, Allentown, WFMZ PA, Altoona, WTAJ PA, Erie, WSEE PA, Harrisburg, WGAL PA, Harrisburg, WHP-TV PA, Harrisburg, WLYH PA, Harrisburg, WPMT PA, Philadelphia, WPHL PA, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, WYOU RI, Providence, WNAC RI, Providence, WPRI