Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Education
The Committee on Education held an oversight hearing on mayoral control of New York City public schools, examining the governance system's origins, current structure, and implications for accountability, transparency, and equity. Schools Chancellor Kumar Samuels testified in support of the governor's proposed four-year extension, while Public Advocate Jumaane Williams argued for greater checks and balances and Council input on chancellor selection. Council members questioned the chancellor and DOE staff on academic metrics, NAEP scores, CEC election turnout, parent engagement, PEP contract transparency, procurement reform, class size law compliance, ICE response protocols, and capital planning. Numerous public witnesses—including the UFT president, advocacy organizations, and parents—testified both for and against renewing mayoral control, with many calling for a commission to study democratic alternatives. No legislation was voted on.
0:04 Seat oh nimbly make your
0:04 choice make my choice wisely
0:12 oh good morning and welcome t
0:14 otoday's New York City Council
0:15 hearing for the committee on
0:18 education if you would like t
0:20 otestify you must fill I will
0:20 witness slip with one of the
0:22 sergeant at arms just a
0:23 reminder there are no food or
0:24 beverages allowed in this room c
0:28 devices and no 1 approach a
0:29 dais at any time chair we are
0:30 ready to begin good morning
0:36 everyone I'm councilmember
0:37 Eric dina witz proud public
0:40 school alum former public
0:42 school teacher and now chair
0:43 of the committee on education
0:45 welcome to our hearing on
0:46 mayoral control of New York
0:48 City public schools today's
0:49 hearing will examine the
0:51 system of mayoral control it's
0:52 origin its current structure
0:55 and the implications for
0:57 accountability transparency
0:58 and equity across the largest
0:59 school district in the country d
1:03 under mayoral control since
1:04 2002 when the state
1:06 legislature fundamentally
1:08 restructured school governance
1:09 by consolidating authority in
1:11 the Mayor and the Mayor
1:12 appointed schools chancellor
1:15 that restructuring replaced
1:16 the former board of education
1:18 and vested broad executive
1:25 authority over curriculum
1:27 budgeting staff and school
1:28 operations in the chancellor
1:30 who serves at the mayor's
1:31 pleasure from the outset Mayor
1:33 of was adopted as an
1:35 experiment it was intended t
1:36 oreplace a fragmented
1:38 government system with a
1:39 single point of accountability g
1:42 and improved coordination
1:44 across a complex school system t
1:48 requiring periodic renewal by
1:49 the state creating creating an
1:52 opportunity for ongoing
1:53 evaluation and adjustment over
1:55 more than two decades the
1:56 state has renewed mayoral
1:59 control multiple times
2:00 sometimes for several years
2:02 sometimes for just one while
2:05 making incremental changes to
2:06 its to its structure more
2:08 recently in of 2024 the
2:12 legislature extended mayoral
2:14 control through June 30 of
2:19 2026 expanded the pep and
2:20 increased the state's role and
2:23 selected it in its selected
2:24 leadership at the same time
2:27 . Mayoral control remains the
2:28 subject of active debate
2:30 during his 20 25 campaign now
2:34 Mayor or mamdani raised
2:36 concerns that centralized
2:37 government limits community
2:38 voice and local decision
2:41 making after taking office
2:41 however the Mayor reversed
2:43 course and expressed support
2:46 for the renewal while
2:47 signaling interest in reforms
2:51 to expand community
2:51 involvement as of today
2:54 however there is no detailed
2:56 public proposal outlining what
2:58 structural changes if any
3:00 would accompany a continuation
3:01 of mayoral control over the
3:04 years parents educators and
3:07 other stakeholders have raised
3:11 persistent concerns about
3:12 transparency checks and
3:14 balances and the concentration
3:16 of authority in a single
3:17 executive public testimony and
3:18 a 20 20 24 review by the state
3:21 education department have
3:23 highlighted questions about
3:24 whether the pep has functioned
3:25 as an independent policy
3:27 making or at times as a rubber
3:31 stamp for mayoral priorities
3:33 some high profile decisions
3:35 such as school closures cho
3:38 locations and significant
3:39 budget proposals have been
3:40 exemplified as ways
3:42 centralized power can mean it
3:44 can limit meaningful public
3:46 input.
3:47 Concerns about participation
3:47 and voice are particularly
3:49 acute at the community level
3:52 while community education
3:53 councils were designed to
3:54 allow parents and local
3:56 engagement they have limited
3:58 policymaking authority and
3:59 recent elections have seen
4:00 extremely low voter turnout
4:04 this raises important
4:05 questions about whether
4:08 existing structures
4:08 meaningfully incorporate the
4:09 perspectives of families
4:12 educators and students
4:14 especially in historically
4:16 underrepresented communities
4:17 equity is also central to thi
4:18 sdiscussion
4:19 . Despite more than 20 years
4:23 of centralized government
4:24 significant disparities in
4:25 resources and outcomes
4:27 persists across districts and
4:29 neighborhoods schools serving
4:31 higher poverty communities and
4:32 higher needs student
4:33 populations often face greater
4:35 fiscal and operational strain.
4:37 While access to services for
4:38 students with disabilities
4:40 multilingual learners and
4:42 students in temporary housing
4:43 continues to vary widely the
4:46 20 24 state education
4:47 department report and national
4:49 research suggests that mayoral
4:50 control on its own has not
4:53 consistently produced improved
4:55 outcomes or reduced long
4:57 standing inequities as we look
5:00 ahead two enrolment shifts
5:03 fiscal pressures and ambitious
5:06 policy goals these governance
5:07 questions take on renewed
5:08 urgency.
5:09 Governor hoke all has
5:11 proposed extending mayoral
5:11 control an additional fou
5:13 ryears with few structural
5:16 changes while the Mayor has
5:17 expressed interest in
5:19 reforming rather than
5:20 dismantling the current
5:22 framework.
5:22 We therefore have a
5:23 responsibility to examine what
5:25 is worked what is not and what
5:29 accountable and what
5:30 accountability mechanisms are
5:31 necessary moving forward at
5:33 today's hearing the committee
5:34 seeks to understand how the
5:36 current system of mayoral
5:38 control shapes decision making
5:39 at both the citywide and
5:43 community levels whether
5:44 existing oversight and
5:45 participatory structure are
5:45 sufficient and what reforms
5:48 are needed to ensure
5:51 transparency responsible was
5:53 responsiveness and equitable
5:54 outcomes for all students I
5:56 don't see it is the public
6:02 advocate here thank you
6:04 . Oh we will come back I look
6:08 forward to hearing today from
6:10 the administration and of
6:10 course from all the witnesses
6:12 who are here and I would like
6:14 to thank my staff my chief of
6:17 staff jenna klaus and adam
6:18 starr pulling my alleged
6:20 director the education
6:22 committee staff including
6:23 counsel alejandro carvel
6:25 senior policy analyst chloe
6:27 rivera policy analyst katie
6:29 selena and financial analysts
6:31 andrew lane lawless and grace
6:33 amato for their work on
6:35 today's hearing and I would
6:36 like to thank regina paul the
6:39 former policy analyst for her
6:41 moral support through life I
6:44 would also like to thank my
6:44 colleagues who are here
6:46 council members in wang Joseph
6:49 and Louis and councilmember
6:51 Schulman is here on zoom let
6:54 me see I would like to remind
6:56 everyone who wishes to testify
6:58 in person today that you must
6:59 fill out a witness slip which
7:00 you can find at the desk of
7:02 the sergeant at arms near the
7:03 entrance of this room.
7:05 Please fill out this slip
7:06 even if you have already
7:08 advance advance that you will
7:09 be testifying in person today
7:11 . I also want to point out
7:12 that we will not be voting on
7:13 any legislation today to allow
7:15 as many people as possible t
7:18 otestify testimony would be
7:19 limited to two minutes per
7:20 person whether you are
7:21 testifying in person or on
7:23 zoom I am also going to ask my
7:26 colleagues to limit their
7:28 questions and comments to five
7:30 minutes please note that in
7:33 general with some exceptions
7:34 witnesses who are here in
7:36 person will testify before
7:38 those who are signed into the
7:40 zum webinar
7:41 . As a reminder to our
7:43 witnesses please state your
7:44 name prior to your testimony
7:46 for the record if anyone here
7:47 today requires an accessible
7:49 version of a presentation
7:50 given at today's hearing
7:52 please email testimony at
7:54 counsel dot dot gov now in
7:57 accordance with the rules of
7:58 the council I will administer
8:00 the affirmation to the
8:01 witnesses from the mayoral
8:02 administration I will call on
8:03 you each of you individually
8:05 for a response please raise
8:06 your right hands do you affirm
8:10 to tell the truth the whole
8:12 truth and nothing but the
8:14 truth before this committee
8:16 and to respond honestly t
8:17 ocouncil member questions I do
8:20 oh cool all right morning City
8:30 council members thank you
8:32 education chair dana wittes
8:34 and the education committee
8:35 members for the opportunity t
8:37 otestify today on the topic of
8:40 mayoral accountability and
8:41 governance of our school
8:42 system my name is kumar h
8:44 samuels and I'm proud to be
8:46 the chancellor of New York
8:47 City public schools our
8:49 nation's largest the school
8:50 system as a former teacher
8:54 principal superintendent and
8:54 as a parent of 2 and 9
8:59 students of experienced our
9:01 system a multitude of vantage
9:03 points over the last 20 plu
9:06 syears I have seen the
9:07 incredible feats we have
9:09 achieved under merit
9:11 accountability resulting in
9:14 increased equity and
9:15 educational excellence across
9:17 our City and for that reason I
9:21 support governor hocus
9:23 proposed four year extension
9:25 and I've and I have also seen
9:27 examples of art of her system
9:29 system better on behalf of
9:31 behalf of students families
9:33 and communities to man
9:36 yfamilies feel their voices are
9:38 unheard and that they are too
9:41 many barriers to effectively
9:42 engage but I want to be clear
9:43 this is not a zero sum game I
9:47 believe marital accountability
9:49 and family empowerment can and
9:53 must coexist our children
9:54 deserve both the centralized
9:56 oversight and execution that
9:58 allow for a real impactful
10:01 change and the local input and
10:04 decision making that give are
10:05 from that give our families a
10:08 meaningful say let me repeat
10:10 mayoral accountability and
10:11 family empowerment are not
10:13 mutually exclusive we need
10:15 them to operate in tandem t
10:19 olift our schools to New
10:20 heights.
10:21 I entered the classroom as
10:23 an elementary school teacher
10:24 in the bronx shortly before
10:27 mayoral accountability was
10:29 first implemented our schools
10:31 have made significant strides
10:33 since then high school high
10:35 school graduation rates have
10:37 risen by approximately 30% we
10:40 have we have the fear student
10:42 funding formula one of the
10:45 most equitable school funding
10:46 formulas in the nation and it
10:47 funds and it's funded at 100%.
10:51 Family satisfaction with r
10:54 children education has grown
10:56 nearly 10 percentage points t
11:00 o96% since the survey was first
11:01 administered in 2007 mayoral
11:04 accountability has been and
11:05 will continue to be essential
11:06 to this to this growth it
11:10 allows
11:10 . It allows us to pursue big
11:14 bold systemic goes to ensure
11:16 equity across our system and
11:20 to respond effectively in
11:21 moments of crisis.
11:22 First mayoral accountability
11:25 ensures real change for our
11:26 students think of the largest
11:29 most impactful initiatives of
11:30 the past 20 years from the
11:32 expansion of early childhood
11:34 education to the launch of
11:36 reeds to the current
11:38 implementation of the class
11:38 sized law this work this is
11:42 work that fundamentally
11:44 transforms the school system
11:46 the school experience for New
11:48 York er's students family
11:50 staff and entire communities
11:53 and none of this would be
11:55 possible without miral
11:57 accountability as an example
11:58 and I see reid's resulted in a
12:01 7.2 percentage point increase
12:03 in reading scores in a single
12:06 year and the key to it too
12:08 it's has been its consistency
12:11 across our system instead of
12:15 32 different reading curricula
12:17 and uneven levels of coaching
12:19 and support across our
12:20 district we've been able t
12:22 odisseminate high quality
12:24 evidence based practices to
12:26 every elementary school
12:28 classroom in a City as large
12:30 as ours moving the needle
12:32 requires strong sustained
12:33 central oversight and
12:36 execution.
12:36 Second Mayor merrill
12:38 accountability and shores are
12:40 highest needs students and
12:42 families receive robust and
12:46 equitable support rather than
12:47 navigating disjointed or
12:49 conflicting policies and
12:51 programs our families have us
12:53 have a single source of truth
12:55 regardless of where they live
12:57 or which school they attend
13:00 not only is there a clear
13:02 point of accountability a
13:03 singular entity the public can
13:06 hold responsible for outcomes
13:08 but the centralized government d
13:11 governance we can apply an
13:13 equity lends to everything we
13:15 do such as allocates
13:18 allocating resources programs
13:19 and staff this means that our
13:22 most vulnerable students
13:23 including our students with
13:25 disabilities multilingual
13:26 learners students in temporary
13:27 housing and foster care and
13:31 more I never pushed to the
13:32 side they are consistently
13:35 front and center in our work
13:38 for instance we added a wait
13:39 until the fair student funding
13:41 formula to support students in
13:43 temporary housing in direct
13:46 response to changing community
13:48 needs we've also been able to
13:51 prioritize community schools
13:52 in areas where students and
13:53 families could benefit most
13:55 and while the work is always
13:58 ongoing we've made major
14:00 strides in providing excellent
14:03 special education programs and
14:06 services citywide because
14:06 we've been able to centralize
14:09 just essentially plan
14:11 prioritize and set policy
14:12 across all districts and third
14:16 mayoral accountability allows
14:17 us to respond effectively in
14:19 the face of challenges and
14:21 crises from the recent pivot
14:23 to remote to remote day to the
14:26 to the current anxieties
14:28 around ice activity we've been
14:30 able to act quickly decisively t
14:35 oand comprehensively thanks t
14:37 omiral accountability without
14:39 contradictions confusions or
14:40 delay delay that would impact
14:42 schools safety and student
14:44 safety in the case of the
14:46 recent storm we made a single
14:48 citywide decision instead of
14:50 dozens of localized ones to go
14:53 remote
14:53 . Notifying and preparing
14:55 families and schools well in
14:56 advance of that Monday morning e
14:59 did during the pandemic t
15:02 oensure digital connectivity we
15:03 had enough devices for every
15:06 student a feat once considered
15:08 near impossible and in 20 2