ALBANY — Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña received a mouthful in Albany Wednesday when Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo charged that the chancellor used taxpayer funds to dole out frivolous programs like “Santa Claus” while doing nothing to help bilingual students.
The Bronx lawmaker shouted and slammed her hands on a table after Fariña delivered prepared testimony on fixing struggling schools without addressing the bilingual issue.
“You are getting $11 billion to educate the children, not to be Santa Claus to people . . . that is what’s happening to mayoral control,” Arroyo fumed.
Fariña told lawmakers that this year, instead of telling parents that they needed to become more involved, school leaders ought to reach out and ask parents what they need.
Parents requested cooking, yoga, meditation and Zumba classes — all of which bring families into the school more regularly than parent-teacher conferences, she said.
She also touted slight test score boosts and increased bilingual programs.
After Arroyo cut Fariña off several times, Assembly Education chair Catherine Nolan said lawmakers are happy with Fariña’s efforts.
That led Arroyo to wrap up, saying, “Sorry, I’m not elected to come up here and kiss a–es.”