Facing resistance from both sides of the aisle, Gov. Dannel Malloy did what many politicians often don’t – he upheld his promises.

Instead of folding under pressure, Malloy remained the driving force behind ensuring that funding for the expansion of charter school seats made it into the final budget deal before it went back to the floor – which wasn’t an easy feat.

According to the Connecticut Mirror, Malloy met pushback from nearly a dozen Democratic legislators during Saturday’s talks, who insisted on cutting funding for new charter school seats. Had they succeeded, Capital Prep Harbor Schools in Bridgeport and Stamford Charter School of Excellence, as well as hundreds of new seats at existing schools would have lost their funding.

Of course, much of this resistance came from teacher’s union cronies like Rep. Edwin Vargas and Rep. Edwin Gomes. In a way, this isn’t just a win for the governor, it’s a win for parent power.

The deal, however, is still tentative. As of early Tuesday morning neither chamber of the state legislature had voted on it, which means that changes are still possible.

As of now, the budget deal includes the $20.9 million over the next two years that will go to fund 861 new charter schools spots that were originally cut by the Appropriations Committee as well as an addition $23 million for traditional public schools, with an estimated $3.4 going to Bridgeport Public Schools.

While the details are still uncertain, one thing is definite: Because Governor Malloy kept his promise, hundreds of children across Connecticut will most likely be given greater opportunities.

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