There's four days left in the legislative session, which means there are still four days where our elected officials in Albany can do the right thing for the state's parents, students, and teachers by lifting the asinine cap that is currently blocking the creation of new charter public schools. Some interesting dynamics at play: the Daily News editorial board notes that the Assembly is pouting about their feelings being hurt because of some television ads naming names of three democratically elected officials who are opposing the cap lift, despite strong demand for charters in their districts. The New York Times notes that Sheldon Silver believes his members are so unused to ever being criticized publicly for their backward views on education issues that the shellshock is preventing them from even discussing the charter school cap. (This is a new excuse, but for Silver the basic soundbite is consistent with what he has always said: "I do not believe that charter schools, in any way shape or form acceptable to the governor, will come out in the last week.") Meanwhile, in the NY Post, Dick Morris writes that "teachers unions wage a nonstop campaign of disinformation about charter schools" but that the legislature should follow the facts and lift the cap.

Lots of drama, indeed. But the reality is that charter schools are right where they always have been politically, and the next few hours will be telling. Despite claims by some charter-friendly legislators in the Assembly that they were this close to discussing charter schools behind closed doors, many people understand the reality that Silver would never agree to any significant education reform measure unless he first got something in return from the governor. The Assembly could have talked until its members were blue in the face, but the horse-trade aspect of all of this would not have changed.

So it comes down to the wire, once again. It's time to trade horses.

New York's charter school law wouldn't exist without Gov. Pataki doing some amazing horse-trading involving pay raises for the legislature back in 1998. The governor made history by making charter school options for the state's students and educators possible. He now has a chance to make history again by taking it to the next level by digging in his heels and doing the right thing.

Perhaps New Yorkers will live to see a day where our elected officials in the legislature make decisions truly based on their merits. In such a world, the cap on charter schools would have been lifted a long time ago. (For those whose memory is fuzzy, at this time last year as pressure mounted to lift the charter cap, legislators in the Assembly said charter supporters should seek the change in the budget, rather than the regular legislative session. This year, when the cap came up during the budget, the same electeds said it wasn't something that should be in the budget, but rather part of the regular legislative session. This isn't about public education, it is about deal-making.)

The reality is that politics trumps substance in New York, and it will for the foreseeable future. So politics it is. On behalf of all of the students and teachers who are on waiting lists to attend or teach at dynamic public charter schools, let's hope the governor is willing to hang in there and fight to continue the momentum he started.

Consider emailing the governor through this site. Consider telling him you appreciate everything he's done for charter schools in New York , and urge him to stay the course regarding his attempts to lift the cap on charter schools.