Committee on Education meeting
February 10, 2026, 10:00 AM
The Committee on Education held an oversight hearing on mayoral control of New York City public schools.
What was discussed
- Chair opens the hearing on mayoral control of NYC public schools Chairperson Eric Dinowitz gaveled in and framed the oversight hearing on the system of mayoral control, in place since the 2002 state restructuring of school governance, saying it would examine the model's origins, structure, and implications for accountability, transparency, and equity. He signaled
- Schools Chancellor testifies in defense of mayoral accountability Chancellor Kamar Samuels of NYC Public Schools testified that mayoral control lets the nation's largest school system guarantee citywide standards, citing universal early screeners, centralized curriculum, and gains he attributed to the governance model, and said he supports the Governor's four-year
- Public Advocate urges checks and balances on mayoral control Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said he remains firm that New York City should retain local jurisdiction over its schools but wants a system of checks and balances that holds the mayor and coordinating bodies accountable, pointing to alternative governance models.
- What has mayoral control actually done for student achievement? Chairperson Eric Dinowitz pressed the Chancellor on metrics, arguing high school graduation rates are inflated by credit recovery and that NAEP scores have stayed roughly flat and statistically indistinguishable from districts with other governance structures. Chancellor Kamar Samuels conceded he
- Would the DOE grant the City Council more legislative authority over schools? Chairperson Eric Dinowitz asked whether the DOE would support giving the City Council legislative authority over schools comparable to its power over other agencies. Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the department will keep partnering with and reporting to the Council where required, but backs
- What does 2% CEC election turnout say about parent engagement? Council Member Rita C. Joseph challenged the roughly 2% turnout in the 2025 Community Education Council elections and reports of candidates left off ballots. Chancellor Kamar Samuels called the numbers disappointing, and Deputy Chancellor Cristina Meléndez said applications rose 24%, blamed a poor
- Where has mayoral control let the city act quickly and decisively? Council Member Mercedes Narcisse asked for concrete examples of mayoral control enabling fast, decisive action and alignment across curriculum, staffing, and capital planning. Chancellor Kamar Samuels pointed to the rapid pivot to remote-learning days during severe weather and affirmed that the
- Will the DOE act on CEC resolutions, not just receive them? Council Member Phil Wong, a former CEC 24 president, pressed for timely DOE responses and action on Community Education Council resolutions. Chancellor Kamar Samuels agreed responsiveness is essential, and Deputy Chancellor Cristina Meléndez confirmed the department is required to respond to CEC
- Will the DOE pay early-childhood providers on time and reform procurement? Council Member Lincoln Restler pressed on procurement reform and paying early-childhood contractors on time. Chief Procurement Officer Elisheba Lewi said DOE procurement largely tracks the citywide PPB rules, and Chancellor Kamar Samuels said he shares the urgency to pay providers promptly.
- How is the DOE protecting students amid heightened immigration enforcement? Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez raised the shifting ICE and immigration climate and consistency of school responses. Chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged the environment has changed, and Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux described ongoing, non-mandatory principal trainings run virtually and in person
- How will the DOE handle struggling schools and CEC technology in District 3? Council Member Gale A. Brewer pressed on the Panel for Educational Policy, interventions in her district's struggling schools, and inadequate CEC technology. Chancellor Kamar Samuels said interventions should be transparent and data-driven, Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux described NYC Reads coaching
- Should PEP contract reviews and public comment be made transparent and codified? Chairperson Eric Dinowitz pressed on whether Panel for Educational Policy contract decisions are effectively pre-baked before public comment, and whether the DOE would support reinstating a public Contracts Committee and codifying transparency into law. Katie Jedrlinic and Chief Procurement Officer
- How will the DOE ensure equitable resources reach the most vulnerable families? Council Member Linda Lee questioned whether the neediest families are reflected in DOE surveys and whether resources reach schools and districts equitably. Chancellor Kamar Samuels agreed the most vulnerable families are underrepresented in surveys and tied the issue to equitable teacher and
- What is happening with specialized high school admissions? Council Member Susan Zhuang raised the specialized high school program and the Mayor's campaign statements. Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the specialized high school admissions program remains unchanged and is governed by state law.
- How can the system elevate local voice while keeping mayoral control? Council Member Shekar Krishnan asked how to elevate local and community voice under mayoral control. Chancellor Kamar Samuels described balancing acting as a 'system of schools' and a 'school system' and pointed to community-schools structures as the space to do it.
- How will the DOE address parent engagement, rezoning gaps, and paraprofessionals? Council Member Carmen N. De La Rosa raised parental engagement, school-seat gaps created by rezoning and new development, and support for paraprofessionals. Chancellor Kamar Samuels committed to working through the middle-school seat shortfall in her district and agreed on the need to move more
- Do teachers and principals have a real voice in curriculum selection? Chairperson Eric Dinowitz asked what mechanisms give principals and teachers a voice in choosing curriculum and whether efficacy standards are codified. Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux described district- and citywide selection processes with community engagement, and Chief Procurement Officer Elisheba
- Should a citywide comprehensive education plan be strengthened? Chairperson Eric Dinowitz asked about the required citywide comprehensive education plan and pushed for clarity over bureaucracy. Sharon Rencher explained state regulatory requirements and said the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan already fills that role and could be improved in structure.
- Independent Budget Office on its education research and data access Julia Konrad, Assistant Director for Education at the Independent Budget Office, testified about IBO's education research role and its data access through state law and an MOU with the DOE, noting the office is funded by a charter-set share of OMB's budget and takes research requests from the
- Class Size Matters on the Pre-K rollout and class-size tradeoffs Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters, testified that the rapid Pre-K expansion spent about $1 billion on centers where they were not needed and that many schools without room for smaller classes now house 3K and Pre-K, and she offered recommendations.
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-0759 Oversight - Mayoral Control of NYC Public Schools. Hearing Held by Committee