VAN WHITE, HARRY DAVIS, WILLA POWELL, MALIK EVANS, BONNIE CANNAN: PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY, JUNE 21, 2010, 4PM

WHERE DOES Harry BRONSON STAND ON MAYORAL CONTROL?
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VAN WHITE, HARRY DAVIS, WILLA POWELL, MALIK EVANS, BONNIE CANNAN
PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY, JUNE 21, 2010, 4PM
at: Rochester City Hall
Church & Fitzhugh Street
Rochester, New York

DAVIS: WHERE DOES Harry BRONSON STAND ON MAYORAL CONTROL?
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
CONTACT: Harry Davis, vote4harry@gmail.com or (585) 355-4259
Bonnie Cannan (585) 342-3729
Van White (585) 305-2858

VAN WHITE, HARRY DAVIS, WILLA POWELL, MALIK EVANS & BONNIE CANNAN call on Harry Bronson to reveal his position on Mayoral Control

HARRY DAVIS, WILLA POWELL, MALIK EVANS , all candidates running in the 131st Assembly District, and VAN WHITE, a candidate running in the 133rd Assembly District & BONNIE CANNAN, a member of the Community Education Task Force, and Issues Coordinator of the Monroe County Green Party called on fellow Democratic candidate Harry Bronson to publicly state his position on Mayoral Control and the possible implementation of the system in the Rochester City School District.

"The thought of instituting mayoral control in Rochester is one that I cannot stand,” Davis said. “This would have consequences for our children today and our future students as well.”

A vote for Mayorl Control is is a vote denying the voting rights of Rochester citizens. We stand before you in total support for the rights of citizens to vote for their own school board members. Does Harry Bronson stand for the voting rights of Rochester citizens?
"Furthermore, the chances of whoever is elected to the 131st Assembly seat in November casting a vote in Albany on this issue is almost certainly assured." Davis said.

Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy has proposed a city takeover of the struggling school system. The reason why VAN WHITE, HARRY DAVIS, WILLA POWELL, MALIK EVANS & BONNIE CANNAN are calling on Bronson to tell the public his position is because if this issue is still on the table come 2011, the Assembly and Senate will be voting on it. And the next assembly member from the 131st District will either vote for it or against it.

Davis is a vocal opponent of Mayoral Control and a strong supporter of the Community Education Task Force, a citizens organizing committee established to educate Rochester on school privatization .

In January of 2010, Davis rode the union sponsored bus to Albany with 27 other labor supporters to lobby legislators against Mayor Duffy’s plan to takeover our schools.

“Most members we contacted said they thought Mayor Duffy spoke for all of Rochester on this issue. We dis-advised them of that notion.” Davis said.

“I have attended multiple caucus meetings where Mr. Bronson was in attendance and he failed to say whether he was for or against Mayoral Control,” Davis said. “The people of the 131st District should not allow Bronson to hide, especially if he will stand in lockstep with the political establishment who supports mayoral control in Rochester.”

Davis agrees with Dr. Cala's position and he believes educational decisions should be left in the hands of the Board of Education, parents, school administrators and teachers. He cites statistics showing mayoral control’s negative impact on minority students and the impact in cities like New York City, where education expenditures increased and educational performance has either declined or remained the same. Among minorities, performance has suffered.
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Harry Davis has outlined his specifics on Mayoral Control of schools at this link:

http://www.harrydavis2010.com/node/23