Democratic Candidates for Mayor Receive Poor Marks on Education Policies
According to a recent research study, the Democratic candidates for mayor are failing when it comes to education reform. The Manhattan Institute’s report, titled “An Education Agenda for New York City’s Mayor,” suggests a return to policies implemented during the Mike Bloomberg era. These policies include expanding charter schools, increasing merit-based schools, closing underperforming schools, and implementing accountability measures like A to F report cards for schools.
The report also recommends scaling back the class size reduction law to prevent further strain on the city Department of Education’s already hefty budget of over $40 billion. Despite a 12% decrease in enrollment since 2019, the cost per student remains at $33,000.
Ray Domanico, co-author of the report, criticized the top-tier Democratic candidates for their lack of focus on these crucial measures, giving them a grade of D or F. He highlighted Whitney Tilson as an exception, as Tilson has shown support for school choice, accountability, and class size reduction reforms.
Under Bloomberg’s leadership, education in New York City saw significant improvements, especially for low-income and minority students. However, these successes have been overlooked by current mayoral candidates.
The report also praises the emergence of charter schools as a major educational advancement in the last 25 years, with 15% of NYC public school students attending 281 charter schools across the five boroughs. Students in charter schools typically outperform their peers in traditional public schools.
Despite the proven success of charter schools, none of the leading candidates are advocating for the removal of the cap on charter school expansion. Even former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a previous champion of charter schools, has not addressed this issue in his campaign.
Instead of focusing on charter schools, Cuomo is promoting the expansion of “community schools” with wraparound services, a program that Damonico believes was ineffective under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.
Other candidates like Zohran Mamdani have proposed controversial changes to the education system, such as removing the mayor’s authority over the Department of Education. These proposals have raised concerns about weakening accountability in schools.
The report emphasizes the need for the next mayor to prioritize reforms that have proven successful in the past, such as accountability measures, support for innovation in both traditional and charter schools, and expanding school choice for students.
In conclusion, the authors urge the next mayor to advocate for the removal of the charter school cap, reevaluate the class size reduction law, and streamline the education system to better serve the needs of students in New York City.
