As a candidate, Zohran Mamdani treated education policy mostly as an afterthought. As mayor, he’s getting a crash course on the challenges of managing New York City’s $40 billion school system.
Shortly before taking office, Mamdani reversed course on a campaign pledge to end mayoral control after political and education experts argued he’d need full authority to implement his universal child care plan. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, had said he wanted to give teachers and families more say.
Now, the mayor is getting schooled again in his push to bring New York City into compliance with a 2022 state law that would reduce class sizes to 25 students or fewer depending on grade level. Smaller classes are popular among families and teachers, and have been credited with better outcomes, especially for low-income students.
Facing a $5 billion-plus budget deficit, administration officials have signaled they will need more time and money to comply with the class size law. Under the law, 80% of classrooms must meet the class size requirement by September. Currently, around 65% of classrooms have met the benchmarks, although officials had to exempt thousands of classrooms to meet the mandate.
Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams initially opposed smaller class sizes due to costs, including hiring new teachers and construction. He later changed his position and hired thousands of additional teachers. Still, Adams left office without delivering a comprehensive plan to bring schools into full compliance with the class size law, which will be fully in effect by 2028.
“I think it's very unlikely, in my view, that the city will make the benchmarks for the next two years of 80 to 100%, basically because Mayor Adams dragged his feet,” said Leonie Haimson, the executive director of the advocacy group Class Size Matters.
Lowering classroom head counts involves some of the most controversial decisions in education. Plans to close and relocate several Upper West Side schools to address enrollment issues and comply with class size caps have encountered fierce backlash. In one case, a public hearing featured a racist comment that prompted the city to withdraw a plan to close a middle school.
Supporters of smaller classes appear willing to give the new mayor time to fulfill his promise.
State Sen. John Liu, the primary sponsor of the 2022 law, said he’s had conversations with Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels about granting the city more time and resources to comply.
“I think the doors are open to both once they have a clear plan in place,” Liu said. That would include knowing how much more time the city needs to build out new classroom space.
Liu said Mamdani, unlike Adams, is “serious” about reducing class sizes. Mamdani’s preliminary budget sets aside $543 million for the task.
“No one had any delusion that this would be an easy task,” Liu said. “It's difficult monetarily, physically, in terms of construction, and also politically. But the important thing to keep in mind is that this will benefit generations of school kids to come.”
Michael Mulgrew, the head of the teachers union, also said he’d support granting the city an extension as long as the administration submitted a plan showing how it would tackle the new construction.
“I've had very good conversations with the mayor and his administration on this,” Mulgrew said. “So they've said they would do it. We'd be more than happy to help.”
Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said Mamdani is committed to smaller class sizes and his administration is “working on a range of strategies to meet the class-size mandate and ensure that all students have access to the high-quality, inclusive and equitable learning environment they deserve.”
Ballot Box
This week we're wondering: Should Mamdani have invoked the cause of Palestinians on St. Patrick's Day?
Last week we asked: Gov. Kathy Hochul said she's open to New York hosting the Winter Olympics again. Would you welcome the games?
“The Milano-Cortina games seemed to be a huge success. NYC already has the infrastructure to host big ice events, and Lake Placid/Whiteface/Mt. Van Hoevenberg already host high-level international competitions. It would be great for New York state and it would be great for the Olympic spirit!”
- Margaret, Manhattan
“Events like the Olympics bring cultural cachet and promise economic booms, but New York has plenty of cachet, and from what I’ve read, the economic upsides are oversold. Let’s take the resources we’d use preparing for a vanity event like the Olympics and just directly invest in improving things for the New York public (instead of a few weeks of tourism).”
- TJ, Nassau County
Talk to us.
Ask a question. If you're confused about something in New York politics, you probably aren't alone. Submit a question here. We may answer it in a future newsletter and/or on air.
Submit a news tip. Is there something we should know? You can use this form to share a news tip. You can also email our editor, Stephen Rex Brown: srbrown@wnyc.org.
7 headlines
(1) Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration moved Tuesday to stop representing former Mayor Eric Adams in a lawsuit alleging Adams sexually abused an NYPD colleague more than three decades ago. Here’s why.
(2) Meanwhile, another former mayor, Bill de Blasio, is giving Mamdani props for his approach with President Donald Trump. Here’s what he said.
(3) The MTA sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for withholding federal funding for the Second Avenue subway’s expansion into East Harlem. Here’s more on the case.
(4) Power for more than 2 million New York households is in limbo as renewable energy developers remain at an impasse with the state government over construction costs tied to President Trump’s tariffs. Here’s more on the situation.
(5) Leqaa Kordia, who spent more than a year in ICE custody after she was arrested at a Columbia University protest over the war in Gaza, is returning to her family in New Jersey. Here’s more on her situation.
(6) The Mamdani administration has a new job listing: borough-based jails czar. Here’s more on the role.
(7) Attorney General Letitia James supports state legislation that would curtail retailers and grocers from setting prices using algorithms based on personal data. Here’s more on the proposal.
