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NEW YORK, NY January 29, 2007 —New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is proposing a drastic overhaul of state education funding. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

Spitzer won't say how much money schools can expect until he gives his budget address on Wednesday. But in an Albany speech outlining his education plan, Spitzer said the state funding formula will be based on needs instead of political deals.

And districts that get an increase will be expected to deliver results. He said these would include reforms such as lowering class sizes and making it harder for teachers to get tenure. Districts will also have to say how many more children they expect to read on grade level and graduate.

Spitzer warned that as many as 5 percent of schools could be shut down for failing. The governor got a few boos when he voiced his support for raising the cap on charter schools. But he also promised more help for districts through universal pre-kindergarten and extra resources for the state's education department. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.