Under a new plan outlined by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, school districts receiving a significant influx of state aid will have to meet certain accountability goals to receive the funds, with consequences for poor performance. NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi said the statewide union welcomes the governor's emphasis on reform, resources and results.

Spitzer's "Contract for Excellence" will require every district that receives a state aid increase of at least $15 million or 10 percent to enter into a contract on how the new funds will be spent. He released the plan days before rolling out his executive budget (see related story).

Schools must use the additional resources to implement initiatives that have proven effective, including reducing class size, increasing classroom time and improving teacher quality.

Spitzer said accountability should run through the system from top to bottom.

"We should make sure districts hold principals and other school leaders accountable for their actions with individual school leadership report cards ... that track the performance of principals and superintendents," Spitzer said.

The plan features reform measures to address accountability at the state level, including establishing universal pre-kindergarten and maintaining and increasing grade level and graduation standards.

"Smaller class sizes, pre-K education and quality teacher preparation are elements of a well-researched lesson plan for excellence," Iannuzzi said. "We all need to be accountable to make this work."

Union leaders applauded the governor's plan to resolve the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case with additional resources statewide based on student need, but expressed concern about a plan to increase the cap on experimental charter schools (see above).

— Clarisse Butler Banks