Meanwhile, some local policy activists have expressed concerns that de Blasio may avoid taking sides on contentious issues, something that was a an occasional criticism during his Council terms as well. (De Blasio is widely considered to have mayoral ambitions in 2013; his office insisted that any interview requests would not discuss his "political future," only his current office.)
For example, when Bloomberg announced he was avoiding teacher layoffs by eliminating pay raises—a plan that predictably drew an immediate attack from the teachers' union—de Blasio's press statement simply praised the mayor for avoiding cuts, then blamed Albany "inaction" for bringing on the schools budget crisis.
De Blasio has made education a stated priority, sponsoring a series of "town halls" for parents on addressing school issues. But Josh Karan, a parent advocate in upper Manhattan's school district 6, says he was disappointed by a March meeting of de Blasio's new Parent Advocacy Coordinating Team, itself first announced at a town hall earlier that month.
"There was no intent to include the direction that parent activists believed needed to be taken, and the focus was on workshops to explore procedural matters: how to organize a meeting, a School Leadership Team, a [Community Education Council]," says Karan. When he and other parents complained to de Blasio's office, he says, he received a letter back three weeks later explaining that the public advocate was "still working to consider and refine his education policy priorities and develop a full-fledged platform to address the wide-ranging needs and issues faced by students, schools and families."
De Blasio counsels patience. "I think it's a beginning," he says of the town halls and the PACT creation. "Certainly, we're not comfortable with the existing process. So I think if anyone interpreted that as the goal, then we didn't express clearly enough that we're trying to organize parents to make sure their voices are heard much more deeply and to get real results from it."
He adds: "To anyone who is looking for more, they'll be seeing a lot more in the coming months."
But in as few as five months, voters might be asked to approve changes to the city charter that could eliminate de Blasio's post after his term ends in 2013. De Blasio believes the purpose of his position is clear: "There's no bureaucracy on earth that's self-policing. The only way you make sure things are being done efficiently and fairly is to have an outside watchdog."
