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[Hilary]

D&C op-ed by John Bliss:

So it appears that everyone who has been screaming about how good the schools can be without mayoral control will get their way.

The argument that you don't need mayoral control to make drastic changes to the current system can be put to the test. I wonder how hard all the anti-mayoral control people are going to push once the lights get turned off. I've found people are not as vocal or committed if there is no crowd or microphone involved.               
         
So what's next?

As a charter-school founder, city resident and homeowner, former Rochester School District teacher and Independent Party School Board candidate, I feel I know a little about city schools and I can tell you that people better start embracing Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard.

If he goes, there will be a collapse of city schools that we have not seen since Manny Rivera left the first time around. People can criticize him for being aggressive in his approach, but the last thing we need is a weak superintendent.
It will be interesting to see how the next few months play out. The anti-mayoral control crowd urged for drastic changes in the city schools. Brizard is all for these changes, but will he get their support or were their words founded more on politics than what is best for children?

The superintendent believes poor schools should be shut down. He is an accountability advocate and a charter supporter. The teachers union is not thrilled with him and apparently some board members also have issues with him, but none of this should matter. It is not about popularity. It is about results.

I believe things will get very interesting very soon.

With mayoral control about to die, will the community rally around Brizard or will he become their next victim?

Bliss is founder of the Urban Choice Charter School in Rochester.

[Hilary]

And this comment, from Howard Eagle:

The real question is, now that seemingly, they have been soundly defeated on the issue, what will most mayoral-control-supporters who claim they are committed to change and improvement in the RCSD, especially those who professed willingness "to die on a hill" do next.