BostonHerald.com - Menino rips BTU for anti-pilot school `blackmail'

Menino rips BTU for anti-pilot school `blackmail'
By Kevin Rothstein
Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Mayor Thomas M. Menino accused the Boston Teachers Union of blackmail over not allowing more pilot schools, warning yesterday he might seek to allow more independent charter schools to open.

``This is like blackmail to the city,'' he said. ``It should be all about education. When other issues get into play, that's unfortunate. The kids come first.''

Menino said the union might be playing hardball over pilot schools because the state cap barring new charter schools from opening in Boston strengthens the union hand.

``If it's going to force us not to have the opportunity to have the alternate schools, I might have to be supportive of . . . lifting the cap,'' he said.

The Boston Public Schools and the BTU are at odds over mandatory overtime pay in pilot schools, which operate largely free from district and union rules. Each side blames the other for the stalemate.

Boston Teachers Union spokesman Stephen Crawford said easing the state restriction on more charters would be disastrous.

``Lifting the cap would mean $114 million would be taken out of the Boston Public Schools and given to schools that aren't required to accept students with severe special needs, aren't required to teach kids for whom English is a second language and aren't required to hire certified teachers,'' he said.

The BTU rolled out the idea of creating 20 ``Discovery Schools'' with some independence and mandatory overtime pay.

Boston Superintendent Thomas Payzant said he wasn't opposed to the idea, but said the union needs to make more concessions.

``It's interesting that in the union proposal they want flexibility on curriculum and budget but no flexibility on staffing,'' he said.