Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D-Endwell) was critical today of a mailing recently sent out in her Assembly District without her consent. Education Reform Now, a coalition of pro-charter school groups based in Brooklyn, sent the mailer throughout her district praising her vote in favor of lifting the cap on charter schools and other education reforms.
“I don’t appreciate any special interest group using me to push their agenda without approaching me first,” said Lupardo, who’s husband received the mailer at home today. “While I’m sure many will simply discard this as junk mail, my office has already received phone calls from constituents who were confused and upset – thinking this mailing was sent by me.”
Lupardo stressed that the mailing was not sent by her and it was done so without her knowledge or approval. No taxpayer funds were used to pay for the mailings. In fact, Lupardo ranks among the lowest of her colleagues in the state legislature with regard to her mailing budget and overall spending.
Mailers have been sent out across the state in the districts of lawmakers who supported the reforms. According to an article in the New York Post (May 24, 2010), Education Reform Now has spent $2 million on a statewide media campaign that included mailings like these, as well as television commercials.
In May, the Assembly passed a package of education reforms aimed at making New York’s application for the Race to the Top federal grants more competitive in the second round of funding. The compromise on charter schools (A.11310) raised the cap, while increasing transparency, providing additional oversight and prohibiting for-profit organizations from operating or managing any new charter schools. Additional measures passed provided financial support for a new system to measure long-term student achievement (A.11309) and enhanced the statewide evaluation system for teachers and principals (A.11171). Lupardo voted in favor of all three bills.