The Case for Mayoral Control in New York City Education. Issue Brief
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| Title: | The Case for Mayoral Control in New York City Education. Issue Brief |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jennifer Weber, Manhattan Institute (MI) |
| Source: | Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 2025. |
| Availability: | Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Tel: 212-599-7000; Fax: 212-599-3494; Web site: http://www.manhattan-institute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | High Schools Secondary Education Elementary Education Grade 8 Junior High Schools Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | City Government, Government Role, Governance, Educational Change, Public Schools, Outcomes of Education, Accountability, Boards of Education, National Competency Tests, School Districts, High School Graduates, Educational Attainment, Graduation Rate, Grade 8, Academic Achievement, English Instruction, Language Arts, Student Characteristics, Reading Achievement |
| Geographic Terms: | New York (New York), California (Los Angeles), Texas (Houston), Illinois (Chicago), New York |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | National Assessment of Educational Progress |
| Abstract: | As New York City (NYC) prepares for the upcoming mayoral election, the future of mayoral control in schools could be on the line. To ensure that the city continues to build on two decades of progress in graduation rates, academic outcomes for all students, and gains for underserved students, the city must preserve and expand the model with transparency and accountability. This brief discusses the history of mayoral control in NYC education, beginning in 2002. The brief provides NYC's public school outcomes, as well as a governance comparison to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Houston Independent School District (HISD). Results indicate that mayoral control in NYC supported reforms that helped the district reach the national average, where other large school systems under a board-governed system remained well behind. The following recommendations for NYC are provided: (1) Preserve mayoral control; (2) Strengthen checks and transparency; and (3) Process to evaluate reforms. Recommendations for the nation include: (1) Pilot mayoral governance; and (2) Build accountability systems |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679636 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | As New York City (NYC) prepares for the upcoming mayoral election, the future of mayoral control in schools could be on the line. To ensure that the city continues to build on two decades of progress in graduation rates, academic outcomes for all students, and gains for underserved students, the city must preserve and expand the model with transparency and accountability. This brief discusses the history of mayoral control in NYC education, beginning in 2002. The brief provides NYC's public school outcomes, as well as a governance comparison to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Houston Independent School District (HISD). Results indicate that mayoral control in NYC supported reforms that helped the district reach the national average, where other large school systems under a board-governed system remained well behind. The following recommendations for NYC are provided: (1) Preserve mayoral control; (2) Strengthen checks and transparency; and (3) Process to evaluate reforms. Recommendations for the nation include: (1) Pilot mayoral governance; and (2) Build accountability systems |
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