Governor Andrew Cuomo says one reported aspect of the Buffalo school district's teacher evaluation system is "on the line of being a fraud." Cuomo made his remarks during today's Capitol Pressroom, heard on a tape delay at 8 p.m. on 88.7 FM WBFO.
The governor was questioned about a Buffalo News article saying the city school district quietly made a deal with the Buffalo Teachers Federation that it would not use the teacher evaluations in any termination proceedings.
State Education Commissioner John King warned the district it would risk million of dollars in state aid this year if it followed that agreement. Cuomo told host Susan Arbetter he agrees with King.
"If they made a side deal that was contrary to what they certified to the state, that's right on the line of being a fraud in the ethical, and possibly legal, sense," Cuomo said.
"This was a certification to the state in the plan, and the plan said the criteria shall be used. I don't know if they did it, Susan, but if they did it, it's very close to a legal and certainly an ethical fraud."
You can hear the governor's entire interview on the Capitol Pressroom tonight at 8 p.m. on WBFO.