So lawmakers in Albany are taking the rest of the year off without having removed the artificial cap on the number of new public charter schools that can be created in the state, leaving scores of plans for quality new schools in limbo while waiting lists for students and teachers only get longer.

Feel free to parse Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's words yourself, but it's clear he never wanted more charters and now claims the problem is the "kind" of charter schools involved and whether or not they should be allowed to be bullied by their local school boards. (Silver is apparently pro-bully.)

From the N.Y. Times story: "We have a number of members who are absolutely opposed to any charters," Mr. Silver said. "I have told Mayor Bloomberg that the number and kind of charter schools he is looking for there is no support in my conference."

From the Buffalo News story: "Silver said Democrats are concerned that the charter schools are not required to be union represented and that local school districts have no say over their locations."

From the AP story: "We have a number of members that are absolutely opposed to any charters," Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said. "We have a number of members who believe there should be union representation mandated. We have a number of members who think local school districts should make determinations as to locations of charters. That is not what the governor has in mind."