New York state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has made enemies in Gov. Cuomo’s camp for one of the same reasons he has won friends among NYSUT members and many in the public: he has examined how charter schools spend taxpayers’ money.
“To me, it’s always been common sense to demand the same level of transparency and accountability from charter schools as we do from every other school receiving public dollars,” DiNapoli told RA delegates Saturday
DiNapoli also touched on another topic important to delegates — the strong health of NYSUT members’ state pension plans.
The funds’ earnings have bounced back so much since the economic downturn that the state has been able to reduce its contribution significantly, he said.
“You are part of well-run and well-funded pension plans,” he said. “That’s the reality... There is simply no reason to replace the defined-benefit pension system with defined contribution."