CHARTER SCHOOL PARENTS BACK PERKINS
state sen. bill perkins' campaign for a third term started with him being named public enemy number one for criticizing charter schools. yet almost two weeks before the sept. 14 democratic primary, he got an endorsement from the new york charter parents association.
the organization announced their endorsement for perkins aug. 23, arguing that the senator held the first hearings on charter schools in their 10 year existence and exposed "many of the questionable practices of charter school administrators that were violating the rights of nyc children and their parents."
"we support senator bill perkins because he is not anti-charter, but for protecting the rights of parents wherever they choose to enroll their children, whether at district or charter schools," mona davids, founder and president of the association.
basil smikle, a political consultant, jumped into the race against perkins after he refused to back legislation that raised the cap on charter schools in the state. but perkins has since voted for a bill to allow more charters in new york that also contained a provision blocking for-profit companies from running these schools.