Eric Adams must use mayoral control to better NYC’s schools —or he’ll lose it for good

There is no viable alternative to “mayoral control” of the city’s school system, but that didn’t save Mayor Adams from getting fleeced in Albany for a paltry two-year extension of that law.

The limited grant of power means state legislators will continue to hold the mayor’s agenda to their whims and spending priorities; buck them, and Adams risks further obstruction of his education goals.

He’s not faring any better in negotiations with the City Council, having agreed to extend its underutilized pre-kindergarten program for 3-year-olds. 

While some neighborhoods have a shortage of 3,000 seats, others have a wasteful surplus, so overall funding should have been cut as seats were moved around.

As parents increasingly seek options outside the Department of Education’s schools, Adams has not forcefully argued for new charter schools, the best way to increase educational opportunity in lower-income communities. 

Parents in some districts are still dealing with the reduction of merit admissions to middle schools, while access to Gifted and Talented programs has not increased.