In 2014, Bill de Blasio effectively declared war on charter schools. Shortly after taking office, New York City’s then-mayor blocked three charter schools’ access to public facilities. He ultimately backed off his plans, however, after some 11,000 charter supporters rallied in Albany, demonstrating that opposing successful schools carries a political price.
More than a decade later, Zohran Mamdani ran a mayoral campaign in which he made clear that he opposed state-mandated charter school expansion. As Mayor-elect Mamdani prepares to take office, charter advocates wonder whether he will follow de Blasio’s confrontational approach—or if he will seek common ground in helping the city’s most disadvantaged students.
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Charter leaders hope the mayor-elect will avoid repeating the 2014 conflict. They publicly invited Mamdani to visit Ember Charter School in Bedford-Stuyvesant by December 12, perhaps hoping a firsthand look would prompt him to reconsider his views. That strategy may well work. Visits to charters—which showcase these schools’ impressive, joyful learning environments—often change critics’ minds.
For Mamdani, partnering with charter leaders presents a political opportunity. Collaborating with these schools could head off a costly battle against popular institutions and deliver on campaign promises to help vulnerable students.
Since 2014, New York City’s charter sector has grown. Eleven years ago, the city’s charter schools enrolled 84,717 students. Today, that number exceeds 150,000, representing 15 percent of all Gotham’s students.
Nearly 83 percent of city charter students are economically disadvantaged, and almost 90 percent are black or Hispanic. More than 19 percent of New York City’s charter school students have Individualized Education Plans, tailored learning plans for disabled students.
Several of these schools cater specifically to disabled students. Bridge Prep in Staten Island, for example, was designed to serve students with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties. NYC Autism Charter School, which opened its second school in the Bronx in 2017, offers a program based on Applied Behavior Analysis, the most effective method for teaching students with autism.
Gotham’s charter schools are also delivering superior educational outcomes. A Stanford University Center for Research on Educational Outcomes study found that the city’s charter students effectively “gained” an additional 80 days of learning in math and 42 days in reading compared with students in local school districts. The center’s director called New York’s results “among the best in the country.”
These institutions are increasingly popular. A Democrats for Education Reform survey found that 64 percent of New York parents would like to see more charter schools—a critical mass of New Yorkers whose support the mayor-elect should want.
Rafiq R. Kalam, founder of Ember Charter School, is optimistic about the relationship between the mayor-elect and the charter school community. “I am excited for him to continue talking about equity as the main focus. We improve academics for the families who are affected by the affordability crisis.” Kalam thinks that if Mamdani visits his school, he will see charter schools’ unique approach: “We are purposefully diverse in our approach; one size does not fit well.”
Kalam and other charter leaders urge Mamdani to recognize that their schools achieve better educational outcomes at lower costs than traditional public schools. “Anyone who says that they are serious about affordability, they have to focus on the data on which models are working and are delivering more,” he says. “If you look at charter schools, we are delivering more.”
Mamdani has yet to nominate a schools chancellor, and it remains to be seen what stance he’ll take on charters as mayor. Charter leaders like Kalam remain committed to partnership and constructive engagement. “Who wants to go to war,” he asks, “with people who wake up every day to serve black and brown kids?”
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