Mayoral Control Opponents demonstrate outside Democratic Party election

As local Democratic Party members met to select a new leader, a press conference by those opposed to Mayoral Control was to be held outside the Unite Here union hall. Foul weather and the refusal of the mainstream media to pay any attention to those opposed to mayoral control limited attendance to two demonstrators and Indymedia.

Harry Davis has been a longtime opponent of Mayoral Control. Davis recently lost a bid for New York State Legislature district 131 to Democrat Harry Bronson. Bronson was elusive on the issue during the primary but has now come out in favor of Mayoral Control. Bonnie Cannan represented the Anti Mayoral Control Task Force. “We don't make political endorsements” she said, “The issue of democracy should cross party lines.”

The issue is democracy. Currently the Rochester City School District is run by a democratically elected board. Mayoral Control would disband that board and place control with a committee appointed by the mayor. The issue is further complicated by Mayor Robert Duffy's candidacy for Lieutenant Governor. If he wins, who will replace him and how will that replacement be chosen? Davis and the Mayoral Control Task Force want “a general election complete with petitions and primaries, not the appointment of a replacement by 9 or 10 people.”

There are issues with the schools that need to be addressed and changes that need to be made. Advocates of Mayoral Control are just looking for a quick fix and not realizing what they're giving up in the process. Meanwhile some of Mayoral Control's staunchest supporters, powerful business interests, see it as an opportunity to make profits at taxpayer's expense. Ultimately this could lead to the privatization of education.

To its credit, the current school board is making some changes. Board President Malik Evans, who also lost a bid for the 131st Assembly district, has instituted more transparency, outreach and open discussion between the board and the community. More focus on minority communities and history has also been suggested as a way to connect with students in a district that is over 60% “minority.”

Smaller class sizes and more resources necessary for real improvement are difficult to come by in the current economic climate. Are the efforts to disband the school board an attempt to get money from well-funded corporations give them control of our schools to get it? A lot of opponents of Mayoral Control think so.

Democrats re-elected Joe Morelle, of the 132nd Assembly District as local party chair.