FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Supporters and critics of charter schools duked it out

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Supporters and critics of charter schools duked it out at a meeting convened by State Senator Bill Perkins in Lower Manhattan on Thursday to address oversight of charter schools.

Several of those testifying demanded more transparency from charter schools, asking that they make their financial disclosures available and allow public auditing of their operations.

"We're talking about $2 billion in public money, there ought to be some transparency," said Steve Allinger, legislative director of New York State United Teachers.

Both Allinger and Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, talked about how far charter schools had strayed from their original purpose, which was to educate special education students and those who spoke English as a second language.

New York State Senators and Assemblymen sit in front of an at capacity room of teachers, lawmakers and other people in the day-long hearing on charter school budgets. (Alexandra Cheney/DNAinfo)Mulgrew criticized the outsized salaries of charter school administrators, calling them "ridiculous" and saying there should be a limit on them.

Charter school advocates praised the results of the city’s charter schools and said that their existence need not be detrimental to other public schools.

“To be clear, we do not advocate for charter schools over district schools,” said Department of Education Deputy Chancellor John White. “We simply advocate for great schools especially in neighborhoods that have traditionally lacked such options.”

But education historian Diane Ravitch, who is critical of the purported success of charters schools, testified that the focus should be kept on regular public schools.

"Public education is backbone of Democratic society, we must strengthen it, not abandon it," she said.

Perkins, who recently emerged as controversial figure because of his harsh criticism of charters, said he thought both charter and public schools needed to be more transparent about their operations.

“Students win when they attend charter schools that are transparent,” Perkins said.

The hearing room, at 250 Broadway, was filled to capacity with over 100 parents, teachers and public officials. Outside, protesters on both sides of the issue carried signs and wore t-shirts bearing slogans in support of their respective causes.