NEW YORK, NY June 16, 2009 —The Assembly's education committee has approved a bill to renew Mayor Bloomberg's control of city schools, but with minor changes. As WNYC's Beth Fertig reports, some critics are still trying to change the bill before it goes to the full Assembly tomorrow.

REPORTER: The bill keeps the mayor firmly in charge of the Panel for Educational Policy, a 13-member body critics call a rubber stamp. The mayor would continue to have the majority of its appointees - though two of them would have to be public school parents. They would also continue to serve at the mayor's pleasure.

The teachers union and a group called the Campaign for Better Schools want the members to have fixed terms. This would enable them to vote against the mayor's education proposals without the risk of being fired.

Mayor Bloomberg opposes these changes because he says the voters must hold him alone accountable for the schools. He's also expressed concern that the current stalemate in the Senate could force the schools to revert to the old board of education structure if the law isn't renewed by its June 30th deadline. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.