A leading state Senate Republican says Governor Cuomo is not being politically smart by continuing his war of words with the teachers in New York and their union.
Cuomo has called the teachers unions and their allies a “bloated bureaucracy” that works against the interests of the students. His remarks have led to large protests at the Capitol by teachers, and negative TV ads by the union. Senator John DeFrancisco, who chairs the Finance Committee, says Cuomo is making a political misstep.
“It’s incredible to me, quite frankly,” De Francisco said, in an interview with public radio and television. “Someone who’s supposed to be such a great politician from a political family to just incite, for the sole purpose of inciting, boggles the mind. Especially now that we’re closer to a deadline for the budget.”
The state budget is due March 31st, and the governor has made school aid increases contingent on changes to teacher evaluations, and stricter tenure requirments, among other things.
DeFrancisco says he supports getting rid of bad teachers with reforms to the disciplinary hearing process, but he say he doesn’t blame good teachers for fighting back.