New York’s Public Education System Under Scrutiny

A recent analysis highlights severe issues within New York’s public education system, revealing it’s “endemic” and worsened by grade inflation. Alarmingly, nearly half of the city’s public schools are failing their students, according to the report.

The Success Academy Charter School Network’s analysis indicates that less than half of the students in 906 public schools passed state tests in math or reading last year.

Approximately 43% of the city’s 912,000 students find themselves in these underperforming schools based on the report released on Tuesday.

In fact, the majority of students in 503 schools scored poorly in both math and reading.

What’s even more concerning is that about a third of these 906 schools have been on the state’s “accountability” list since 2012. Some have been failing for decades, the report emphasizes.

Instead of addressing these critical issues, the report suggests that city and state policies have exacerbated the situation by attempting to hide the problem rather than confronting it head-on.

“These aren’t just coincidences; they’re the result of a system that prioritizes its own interests over those of students,” the report states, titled “With Integrity Action.”

“Imagine a hospital where more than half of the patients don’t survive routine procedures, or a fire department that only responds to less than half its calls. No public institution would be allowed to operate like this,” it added.

The findings spotlight a troubling reality: the failure in New York City’s public school system is both “endemic and systematically concealed.”

Success Academy Director Eva Moskowitz described this report as the most comprehensive investigation of persistently low-performing schools to date.

According to her, state legislators and educational administrators have actually perpetuated this cycle of failure by allocating more funding to declining schools.

New York City reportedly spent $40 billion on public education in 2024, which amounts to about $36,293 per student—far exceeding the national average of $17,619.

The analysis reveals that lawmakers are investing more than $40,000 per student into failing schools, a concerning figure.

In terms of test scores, about 34% of elementary school students are in failing institutions, compared to 49% of middle schoolers and 62% of high schoolers.

Many students experience a continuous pattern of attending failing schools through their academic journeys.

The report indicates that numerous high school graduates are not adequately prepared for college, frequently requiring remedial courses upon entering City University community colleges.

Without grade inflation, the report suggests the situation would be even more dire. It criticizes the accountability system for both students and teachers, calling it ineffective.

Current grading policies focus on participation and attendance while disregarding state standardized test performance. The prior Education Policy Commission, under Mayor Bill de Blasio, removed state test scores from student evaluations.

This change means that most students who perform poorly on state exams can still be promoted successfully.

Furthermore, state policies prevent the use of student test results to assess teachers’ effectiveness, resulting in almost all teachers receiving satisfactory ratings.

With 98% of teachers rated as “Effective” while 43% of students fail, the numbers don’t exactly align.

The state Department of Education has faced criticism for consistently lowering benchmark test scores to inflate pass rates, leading to discrepancies highlighted in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

According to the report, Albany has failed to acknowledge or address these educational shortcomings.

The state ceased publishing standardized test comparisons between traditional public schools and charter schools, recognizing the latter group generally performs better.

Additionally, the state Legislature has capped the number of high-achieving charter programs to limit participation.

Ten years ago, legislative changes softened the language around failing schools, shifting from “persistently out of school” to “persistently struggling.”

The report critically points out the state’s focus on reducing class sizes, a move initiated by influential teachers’ union leadership, despite a significant drop in public school enrollment since 2020.

It claims the city’s education department has failed to consolidate schools, even as enrollment has dwindled for a decade.

There’s little evidence supporting the necessity for a class size cap, given that many struggling schools are already operating with reduced class sizes as families withdraw their children.

Out of around 900 failing schools mentioned, 167 have notably low enrollment rates.

Politicians are contributing to the challenges by maintaining funding for struggling schools that are deemed “harmless,” even as their student bodies decline.

“Failed schools rob children of their futures,” the report argues, emphasizing that schools with low enrollment waste budgets without benefiting students. It cautions that mandates on class sizes could lead to unnecessary spending amidst the current educational crisis.

The report advocates for making testing data more accessible and linking teacher evaluations to student achievements, while also suggesting an end to manipulative practices in state exams and reducing wasteful expenditures.