NYC schools are still failing to teach over 40% of kids — and it may soon get WORSE
Worse news: Most ideas on the table for the public-school system would only add to the failure.
The city Department of Education opted to look on the bright side, pointing to small increases in proficiency of 7 points in reading and 3 in math — but that comes as the State Education Department is steadily watering down the exams.
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Indeed, SED's hostility to standardized testing is also shown by the insanely delayed release of the results, which in past years came at the start of the summer, not the end.
That said, the double-digit improvement in Grade 3 (12.9%) and 5 (15%) reading scores suggests that Mayor Eric Adams' NYC Reads reforms are having a positive impact after two years.
But even these gains are imperiled, as the leading mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, seeks to end mayoral control and so hand de facto control of the schools to the United Federation of Teachers — whose only priorities are ever-growing pay and perks for its members, and gaining more members to collect dues from.
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Because it's somehow coded as 'progressive,' Mamdani also openly intends to wage war on the city's charter schools — the very public schools that best deliver for the lower-income, minority children that fare worst in DOE schools.
Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, polling second in the race, was once better on these issues — has now declared allegiance to the UFT and turned his back on charters: As we've said before, he'll betray anyone to serve his own interests.
That 40% of schoolchildren in grades 3 through 8 can't earn a barely passing grade in math or English is the shame of a city. Parents should be furious. Politicians should be embarrassed.
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This year's mayoral contest has so far offered not even token debate on improving public education, and now Mamdani's trying to make the race all about who can best fight President Donald Trump. He and Cuomo are in a race to see who hates President Trump more.
New York's children matter a lot more to the city's future; here's hoping the candidates don't keep getting away with ignoring their needs.
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New York Post
15 minutes ago
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani mentions Andrew Cuomo in same breath as Jeffrey Epstein in new video
Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani is going nuclear on rival Andrew Cuomo — attempting to link the ex-governor to Jeffrey Epstein in a new scorched-earth campaign video. In the 90-second TikTok-style spot, Mamdani, looking into the camera, demands that Cuomo release his list of consulting clients, noting the ex-gov once worked on a luxury marina project with a pal, Andrew Farkas, whose former business partner was Epstein. 'In June, the New York Times found out that Cuomo worked with his longtime friend Andrew Farkas on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico. Farkas' previous partner on Caribbean luxury marinas was none other than Jeffrey Epstein,' Mamdani says. 8 Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani released a scathing new attack ad against his rival former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 8 The video lists of a number of alleged scandals involving the ex-governor — even linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock The mud-slinging from Mamdani comes days after Cuomo hammered the socialist for snagging a $2,300 rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria despite his family's apparent wealth. Cuomo even proposed 'Zohran's Law' to prevent well-to-do residents from obtaining rent-restricted apartments. The new spot starts with Mamdani noting that Cuomo 'resigned in disgrace and you probably know why' — then shows footage and articles about women who accused the then-gov of sexual misconduct and the controversy surrounding his nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic mayoral nominee demands that Cuomo release the list of clients from the consulting firm he launched in 2022 after he exited the governor's office, Innovative Strategies LLC. Mamdani gripes in the video that Cuomo has not divulged who paid him. But published reports have said Cuomo worked for a crypto currency exchange based in the Seychelles that eventually pleaded guilty to operating illegally in the US. The Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman also notes that Cuomo did not initially disclose $2.6 million in stock options from a nuclear company to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board. 8 The ad mentions that Cuomo worked on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico with friend Andrew Farkas — who was a business partner with Epstein. New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP 8 Mamdani's ad highlights a Bloomberg article showing a link between Epstein and Farkas. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 'His excuse? The stocks were technically owned by Innovation Strategies LLC – where Cuomo is the sole member,' Mamdani says. 'That's the thing about Andrew Cuomo: once you think you've learned all the scandals, you find out there's another. And another. And another. ' Cuomo can clear the air, Mamdani says, adding: 'Habibi – release your client list.' 8 A photo of Cuomo with Farkas shown in the Mamdani ad. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC A rep for Cuomo gleefully responded that they could 'smell the desperation from conspiracy peddling' in Mamdani's attack. '[Cuomo] didn't know Epstein, but you can smell the desperation from conspiracy peddling Zohran,' said Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi. The former governor — who is running as an independent in the November election after getting soundly bested by Mamdani in the Democratic primary — also has vehemently denied he sexually harassed anyone. 8 Mamdani also bashed Cuomo over his COVID-19 book scandal. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC One campaign strategist said Mamdani's ad was a 'gutsy move' — and likely a response to Cuomo scoring points by hitting him for his rent-stabilized apartment. 'It's a gutsy move. Mamdani is defining Cuomo to general election voters on his terms,' said O'Brien 'OB' Murray, who has run campaigns for Republicans and Democrats. He said Mamdani is not leaving it to campaign surrogates to do the dirty work and is willing to go toe-to-toe with Cuomo. 8 Mamdani also took a shot at Cuomo's performance in the city's Democratic mayoral primary. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC 'It's a page out of Donald Trump's playbook. When the candidates say something about an opponent, voters pay attention to it,' Murray said. But Mamdani risks 'tarnishing' his image by getting in the mud with Cuomo, even if he wants to keep the focus on the ex-gov's past scandals, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion. 'The Cuomo people are probably happy to draw a response. They want to engage Mamdani,' Miringoff said. 'Zohran risks tarnishing his image.' 8 Mamdani called on Cuomo to release the list of clients involved with his consulting firm Innovative Strategies LLC. YouTube/@ZohranforNYC Azzopardi dismissed the video as 'nothing more than a temper tantrum from an insecure child of privilege who knows his tenuous lead is slipping away.' He said the project in question with Farkas never got off the ground, and in regards to his consultancy business, Cuomo does not comment on those 'private client matters' and has not represented anyone with business before a New York city or state agency. Azzopardi also said the stock options were publicly disclosed in Federal Communication Commission files for years. 'There was a question about if and how they were required to be disclosed on city filings, which, after consulting with the Conflict of Interest board, we corrected the same day the matter was brought to our attention,' the Cuomo rep said. 'Try as he might, Zohran can't distract from the rank hypocrisy of growing up wealthy, owning hundreds of thousands of dollars of land in a country that has the death penalty for LGBTQIA people and making more than $140k a year for a job he doesn't show up to while taking a rent stabilized apartment meant for a working New Yorker, not to mention his flip flopping on the defund the police and supporting pro-Hamas criminals like the Holy Land Five,' Azzopardi said. 'He's a total fraud and with every passing day New Yorkers see it.'
American Press
2 hours ago
- American Press
US Department of Education launches nationwide tour
By Nolan Mckendry | The Center Square The Department of Education launched a national tour this month in its continuing efforts to dismantle the agency and revert power back to the states. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced the Returning Education to the States Tour in an effort to ensure President Trump's goal of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education . During the education tour, Secretary McMahon will visit all 50 states and meet with schools, hear from teachers and students on education and ways to improve learning outcomes, and ensure families have the freedom to choose the best educational path for their child's needs. The tour officially kicked off this week with McMahon visiting Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. 'President Trump entrusted me with a vital mission to return education to the states, and part of that is learning best practices from each state,' said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. 'As students head back to school, I will travel across our great nation to visit classrooms, listen to voices on the ground, and spotlight the incredible work happening at the local level.' Trump wants all children to have access to quality education, McMahon stated, by ultimately giving it to the states where education is closest to the child and allowing states to enact regulations. 'Let's have parents be at the center of that because parents are with their children. They know what is best for their child, and they should have the choice to put their children in schools where they can flourish,' McMahon said. 'No child should be a prisoner of a failing school.' On Monday, McMahon toured an East Baton Rouge school in Louisiana, along with various lawmakers and education officials. 'As I'm starting 'Returning Education to the States', I want to make sure that states can have best practices to look at,' she said.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Mamdani leading NYC mayor race by 19 points: Poll
Zohran Mamdani leads in the New York City mayoral race by almost 20 points in a five-person field as opposition to the state lawmaker's bid continues to be split among multiple candidates, a new poll shows. The Siena College poll released Tuesday shows Mamdani leading by 19 points over his next-closest opponent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 44 percent to 25 percent. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa is considerably behind them with 12 percent, followed by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams with 7 percent. Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Adams, who passed on the primary entirely, both are still registered Democrats but are pursuing independent bids for mayor. The poll was taken among registered New York City voters. Pollsters found Mamdani with a solid lead among New York City Democrats, with 55 percent supporting him to Cuomo's 32 percent. Sliwa has the backing of more than two-thirds of Republicans. Mamdani's lead among independents is more narrow, with 30 percent supporting him and Adams in second with 20 percent, according to the survey. The State Assembly member, a democratic socialist, is the only candidate who has a net positive favorability rating among Big Apple voters — above water by 14 points with 46 percent viewing him favorably and 32 percent viewing him unfavorably. Meanwhile, Cuomo is in the net negative by 17 points, Adams is by 28 points and Sliwa is by 12 points, the poll found. Mamdani is the favorite to win the November general election in the heavily Democratic-leaning city. His critics are hoping that one of his opponents can manage to pull off an upset, but the poll's results show the difficulty facing them. Cuomo has called for the candidates to coalesce behind whichever of them appears to be the strongest in a head-to-head matchup with Mamdani based on polling next month, which surveys suggest would likely be the former governor. But Adams and Sliwa have been consistent that they will not drop out of the race. The Democratic frontrunner has yet to reach 50 percent support in polling of the general election with a four-person field or a five-person field, including independent Jim Walden, but his support appears to be ticking up a bit from earlier polls. Still, not much independent polling has been conducted of the race. The Siena poll was conducted from Aug. 4-7 among 317 registered voters. The margin of error was 6.7 points. The higher than typical margin of error is a result of the sample being taken as part of a larger sample of New York State voters and not being weighed as part of a likely voter sample.
