Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has reversed his pledge to end mayoral control of New York City’s public schools, signalling a major shift in his education policy stance as he prepares to take office. He said the decision reflects a belief that clear accountability for school outcomes must rest with the mayor, even as he seeks to deepen community involvement in decision-making.Speaking during the formal announcement of his choice to lead the nation’s largest school system, Mr Mamdani acknowledged that his views had evolved. He had previously argued that mayoral control limited the voices of teachers, parents and students, a position he maintained throughout the mayoral campaign and during the final debates, according to coverage by The New York Times.Shift in approach to mayoral authorityMr Mamdani said he disagreed with how outgoing mayor Eric Adams exercised authority over education, but accepted the need for a single point of responsibility. “New Yorkers need to know where the buck stops: with me,” Mr Mamdani said, quoted by The New York Times, adding that his approach would ensure community involvement is “tangible and actionable”.The mayor-elect confirmed that he will ask the State Legislature to renew mayoral control of the school system, which lawmakers typically extend for two- or four-year terms. New York City’s governance model differs sharply from many other districts across the US, where elected school boards hold authority over education policy.Key appointments signal continuityThe policy shift coincided with Mr Mamdani’s appointment of Kamar Samuels as schools chancellor, one of his final major decisions before inauguration. He announced the selection at an environmental centre in Central Park and also named Emmy Liss as executive director of the city’s child care office, The New York Times reported.“This moment demands a new generation of leadership that both understands our school system and has a transformative vision,” Mr Mamdani said in conversation with The New York Times, describing Mr Samuels as the leader to carry out that vision. Mr Samuels, 48, most recently served as superintendent of an Upper Manhattan district and will assume a role often described as the second-most influential education post in the US after the federal education secretary.Scale of the system and challenges aheadThe chancellor oversees a $40 billion operating budget and instruction across more than 1,500 schools in the city’s five boroughs. Mr Samuels said he shared the mayor-elect’s priorities, including expanding access to rigorous academic options and addressing student homelessness, according to The New York Times.Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the departing chancellor, has agreed to remain for a month to support the transition. The incoming leadership faces significant challenges, including a citywide overhaul of early reading instruction, high levels of student homelessness affecting more than 150,000 pupils, and chronic absenteeism impacting roughly one in three students.Mixed reactions from education leadersEducation leaders and advocates responded with differing views. Crystal McQueen-Taylor of StudentsFirstNY welcomed the decision, calling mayoral control a pathway to clear leadership, as quoted by The New York Times. By contrast, Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters expressed concern, saying mayors have repeatedly promised greater parent input but failed to deliver, in remarks shared with The New York Times.Mayoral control has shaped New York City education since Michael Bloomberg secured authority over schools in 2002, enabling rapid system-wide changes such as curriculum overhauls, while continuing to spark debate over local voice and governance.
