Public Advocate Letitia James said on Saturday that a lawsuit to undo dozens of charter school co-locations will continue.
Credit: William Alatriste/NYC Council
Public Advocate Letitia James reaffirmed her opposition to tens of charter school co-locations originally approved by the previous administration.
After a town hall meeting in Brooklyn on Saturday, James recommitted to a lawsuit to reverse the placing of around 30 charter schools inside buildings operated by traditional public schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently allowed 36 charters and district schools to share building space with public schools, controversially nixing three charter school co-locations.
James praised the decision, but argued it didn’t go far enough.
“I commend the de Blasio administration for setting the right precedent and blocking some forced co-locations, but we must do more to ensure that every child has access to quality education and that parents voices are heard,” James said in a statement Saturday.
The New York Post also reported that attorneys for the lawsuit are considering asking the courts to freeze this year’s charter school lottery while the case continues.
James Merriman of the New York City Charter School Center rebuffed the public advocate’s support of the lottery’s potential stalling, accusing the idea as “putting ideology before kids.”
“The destructive tactics mentioned today by the Public Advocate’s legal team, including postponing this year’s lottery or postponing enrollment at any pre-approved collocated charter schools, would create havoc and uncertainty for tens of thousands of New York City families from low-income communities,” Merriman said in a statement.
Follow Chester Jesus Soria on Twitter @chestersoria
