Mamdani ran on affordability, and schools are an affordability issue.
A good one can save a family thousands of dollars in private school tuition, or rent in the “right neighborhood.” A bad one may make another leave — few parents would willingly send their children to a poorly performing school, given a choice. Too many families in the city don’t have one.
Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote a controversial essay in The New York Times Magazine about her choice to send her daughter to local elementary and middle schools that struggled to educate their pupils. She blamed segregation, school choice and underfunding for the poor outcome, but stood by her decision. Her daughter struggled to accept it.
Nicole and I sat down with MI’s education fellows Danyela Souza Egorov and Jennifer Weber to talk about that and more.
Some takeaways – Mayor Mamdani should not react rashly to the fallout and stick with NYC Reads and NYC Solves. He should, though, tackle the under-enrolled schools and return to letter grades and more accountability. Many of the fixes – like holding kids to high expectations – cost nothing, Jennifer and Danyela pointed out.
Meanwhile, families are not waiting around to see if their underperforming school will get better—Black families are leaving the traditional school system faster than others, many choosing charter schools nearby. If the governor opts in, a new federal tax credit may give them another option.
