When you think about education, the Democratic candidate for mayor might just deserve a silly hat and a failing grade.
A recent report from the Manhattan Institute, called the “Educational Agenda for the Mayor of New York,” suggests we revisit some policies from the Mike Bronberg era. The report pushes for the growth of charter schools and for increased accountability, like broadening merit-based schools, closing or consolidating those that perform poorly, and ensuring comprehensive reports for each institution.
They also advocate for pricey methods to reduce class sizes. This could potentially secure over $40 billion from the City Department of Education’s budget, which is currently at $33,000, but enrollment is still down by 12% compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019.
Ray Domanico, who co-authored the report, told the Post on Wednesday that most of the top Democratic candidates for mayor haven’t really backed or talked about these measures.
“I would assign the mayoral candidate a D or F,” Domanico, who collaborated on the report with researcher Danyela Egorov, remarked.
Whitney Tilson, a Democratic candidate, stands out as the exception. He has supported many ideas in the new report, particularly around school choice and accountability, as well as revamping methods for reducing class sizes. Unfortunately, he doesn’t score high in the polls.
“During Bloomberg’s time, education improved significantly, especially for low-income students and in communities of color. It’s unfortunate that no one seems willing to acknowledge that success,” Domanico said.
He added that the rise of charter schools represents “the greatest educational improvement in the last 25 years.”
About 150,000, or 15%, of public school students in NYC are enrolled in 281 charter schools spread across five regions.
Charter students are typically in better educational situations compared to those in traditional public schools, as they are publicly funded, mostly non-union, and privately managed.
Yet, none of the top candidates are advocating for the state legislature to lift the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York City, unlike former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had defended charter schools during his time.
Cuomo is instead backing “community schools” that provide wraparound services, a favored program of the teachers’ union which Domanico criticized as ineffective during the de Blasio administration.
Meanwhile, candidate Zohran Mamdani proposes that the mayor should oversee the Ministry of Education, which critics argue could undermine accountability. He also seeks to abolish the mayor’s authority in setting school policy.
From 2002 to 2013, Bloomberg’s administration emphasized accountability in school performance, fostering innovation, and policies that expanded school options for students.
Unfortunately, the report noted that de Blasio reversed many of these successful reforms.
De Blasio opposed the expansion of charter schools and eliminated the report card for school assessment.
“New York City schools have strayed off course for the past 12 years due to legislative decisions and enforcement actions in both local and state government,” stated Egorov and Domanico in the report.
Despite this criticism, the authors did commend current mayor Eric Adams for implementing science-based phonics in the New York reading curriculum, though they had little praise for others.
The report highlighted that too many schools are facing low enrollment and suggests they should either be closed or merged. Specifically, 22 schools have fewer than 150 students, and 43 have between 151 and 200 students.
Co-author Egorov, who is also a parent and a secretary to the Community Education Council 2 in Manhattan, commented, “It’s not common for a school system to lose students while failing to educate them, yet still manage to secure more funding.”
Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicated that only 33% of fourth graders were deemed “skilled” in math, with 28% falling below both state and national averages. For eighth graders, only 23% were skilled in math, while 29% were in reading.
The report suggests increasing seats in merit-based middle and high schools like Stuyvesant and Bronx School to attract and keep students, along with creating career-oriented schools that connect graduates with employment opportunities immediately.
In closing, the authors argue that the next mayor should push for state legislation to eliminate caps on charter schools, reconsider the Class Size Reduction Act, decrease the number of members on the Education Policy Panel, assume responsibility for the mayoral office, and streamline the overly complex 32 community school districts.
