Dive Brief:
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing backlash after calling education a "public monopoly" during a speech in which he promised to overhaul the state's system if re-elected.
- The comment, as well as his proposal to increase charter schools and reform the teacher evaluation system, has drawn criticism from those who feel uncomfortable with his description of education as a commodity.
- His comment has been condemned by the New York State United Teachers and the Working Families Party, who previously endorsed Cuomo for re-election.
Dive Insight:
The comment took place during an editorial meeting at the New York Daily News offices, and what Cuomo specifically said is this: "I believe these kinds of changes are probably the single best thing that I can do as governor that's going to matter long-term, to break what is in essence one of the only remaining public monopolies — and that's what this is, it's a public monopoly."
Speaking about education as a commodity is indicative of an education reform model (the portfolio model) based on the economic theories of Capitalism and Freedom author Milton Friedman. And when talk about markets and monopolies seems to creep into the conversation, it makes critics uncomfortable. The dialog around education and schools should be about the practices that best improve learning, not Wall Street lingo.
And it's not just the vocabulary Cuomo employed. The policies he is pushing are also making some educators and union officials uncomfortable. "Governor Cuomo is wrong on this one. His proposed policies on public education will weaken, not strengthen our public education system, and they would represent a step away from the principle of high quality public education for all students," Working Families Party Director Bill Lipton said in a statement.