NEW YORK, NY July 07, 2009 —The head of the Senate's Democratic conference says he doesn't want to "end" mayoral control. Brooklyn State Senator John Sampson told WNYC's Brian Lehrer he just wants to "enhance" it.

SAMPSON: We're not trying to prevent the mayor from having control of the Department of Education because, as anyone else, if I was mayor of the city of New York, and I'm responsible for educating 1.1 million children, I, too, would want to have control over that.

REPORTER: Sampson says he and his colleagues want more funding for arts education, more training for parents, to get them involved in their child's education, and more accountability. Mayor Bloomberg brushed aside those suggestions.

BLOOMBERG: I have no idea what he's talking about. I think that's the nicest way to phrase it. We are trying very hard to have a great arts program. I want the teachers and the principals to run the schools, not the parents.

REPORTER: Bloomberg wants the Senate to approve the bill that the Assembly passed. Sampson says he thinks changes can be worked out in a special session with the Assembly in, quote, "the next couple of weeks, before the start of the school year."