A Letter from Ember Reichgott Junge | May 2024
Along with former Michigan Governor, John Engler, Institute Board Chair, Jim Barrett, and Don Cooper, it was an honor to represent the National Charter Schools Institute and Founders Library at an event honoring former Governor George Pataki and 25 Years of New York Charter Schools!
Many are familiar with Governor Pataki’s strong leadership during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Lesser known is the courageous stand he took to pass legislation creating public charter schools in New York in 1998. He called it “an historic advancement in public education” and one of his proudest accomplishments of his 12-year administration.
The law wouldn’t have passed without the governor’s insistence. As he described, “No one wanted charter schools. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. They thought I was out of my mind.” One legislator sponsored the bill.
During a special “lame duck” session, held so the Legislature could approve a much-desired pay raise for itself, the governor insisted on passage of the chartering legislation (“one of the strongest laws in the country”) before he would agree.
Legislative leaders didn’t believe him, so he left the capitol. They started to believe him at 4 p.m. on the last day of the session. Negotiations ensued. The charter legislation passed at 11:40 p.m. and the pay raise was signed at 11:59 p.m. A key provision of that bill allowed the State University System of New York (SUNY) to become an authorizer of charter public schools, which is still a leading authorizer in the country. The first charter school opened in New York in 1999.
Today there are 342 charter public schools in New York state and nearly 200,000 students attend them each year. That’s one of every six public school students. Ninety-four percent of the students in charter schools are black and brown and 81 percent are low income – both well over statewide averages. Seventeen percent of New York’s charter students are special needs, roughly equal to district schools.
“This is the civil rights issue of the 21st century,” the governor told the 250+ people in attendance. The event raised $250,000 for Ukrainian relief via the Pataki Center.
Our thanks to Bob Bellafiore, who helped create New York’s charter school program while working for Governor Pataki and organized the event. Congratulations to all!
