When it comes to Democratic candidates for mayor, one key topic that deserves attention is improving outcomes in the city’s public schools.
The Department of Education allocates over $40 billion annually, which breaks down to more than $33,000 per student. Despite a drop in student enrollment, this funding continues to grow and remains the biggest expense in the city’s budget.
To be fair, one candidate, Whitney Tilson—a hedge fund executive and philanthropist—did bring up education issues, although he skipped the United Federation of Teachers meeting. That’s a little unusual.
According to Ray Domanico, who co-authored a report on education from the Manhattan Institute, many of the candidates would earn a solid D or F when it comes to addressing this crucial issue.
Most candidates seem to align with a progressive agenda that, frankly, feels like it serves the union’s interests more than those of the students.
Particularly concerning is Zoran Mamdani’s stance, as he proposes removing mayoral control of the Department of Education, which would make it harder for voters to hold anyone accountable for failing schools.
It’s worth noting that only about a third—33%—of fourth graders in the city were proficient in math last year, and just 28% in reading. Clearly, this situation isn’t one that will improve on its own.
There were times when Andrew Cuomo attempted to take a stand against the teachers’ union during his governorship, but, well, that didn’t go well for him.
Now, he seems to have shifted his position completely, aligning with the mayor’s priorities that he previously criticized, and is endorsing Bill de Blasio’s “Community Schools” initiative.
In general, Cuomo’s approach to education has been criticized for pandering to the United Federation of Teachers and opposing charter schools—despite the fact that charter options have provided real opportunities in many urban areas.
No one in the current mayoral race seems to advocate for a return to Bloomberg’s policies, which aimed to improve traditional public schools and expand charter options while reforming struggling schools.
Moreover, there’s barely any discussion on the alarming issue of chronic absenteeism.
Last fall, about 34.8% of public school students—roughly 300,000 kids—missed at least 10% of the school year, an increase from 26.5% in 2019.
This is undeniably troubling, yet it hardly seems to be on any candidate’s radar.
In the upcoming campaign, you might hear some candidates express concern over improving education for New York’s kids. But it’s striking how, among Democrats, this topic seems somewhat off-limits these days.
