Mamdani’s schools chief tells some tough truths – Latest News
Not everybody within the Mamdani administration is deluded: Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels simply informed the ugly reality about two sacred cows of the native training institution — the state-imposed class-size mandate and the lunatic “hold harmless” coverage.
Testifying Monday earlier than the City Council Education Committee, Samuels warned that it’ll be “very difficult” for the town to satisfy the mandate of no more than 20-25 college students per class, relying on grade degree.
Compliance now stands at 64%, he says, however the metropolis gained’t even hit the 80% mark by September.
It’s not simply the money needed; the town has to seek out more lecture rooms and rent more lecturers; each take time.
State Sen. John Liu has teased his openness to granting more time, and even some state assist, so the town can attain 100% compliance by fall 2027.
Liu and others had blamed the final mayor, however even within the Mamdani period the town Department of Education finds itself unable to maneuver fast regardless of fast-declining enrollment.
More From Post Editorial Board
Now that the short-term “bump” from the inflow of migrant youngsters has handed, the DOE is liable for simply 844,400 college students, a large drop from the 1.1 million as not too long ago as 2012.
The chancellor’s different shock was dropping shade on the “hold harmless” coverage, which insists on giving each single college a minimum of as a lot funding because the 12 months earlier than, even when its enrollment retains plummeting.
All of this dangers the fad of the United Federation of Teachers, which obtained the Legislature and gov to impose the class-size mandate to make sure its energetic ranks would grown at the same time as enrollment shrinks — and which burns in fury at any speak of chopping even blatantly wasteful college spending.
Get opinions and commentary from our columnists
Subscribe to our every day Post Opinion publication!
Thanks for signing up!
Perhaps Mayor Zohran Mamdani realizes he doesn’t need the UFT’s love — particularly when he faces multibillion-dollar deficits and when a full 29% of the town’s finances, an obscene $39 billion, goes to a college system the place enrollment is down, truancy is up and achievement is stagnant.
Mamdani’s schools chief has the chance to align finances priorities, per-pupil spending and educational efficiency throughout all public schools.
Maybe, simply perhaps, sane voices at City Hall are whispering that discovering fundamental efficiencies at DOE (and getting Albany to calm down the UFT’s mandate) are a sensible manner out of the finances mess.
Or the mayor doesn’t dare cross the union, and Samuels is truth-telling his manner out of his job.
