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Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a two-year extension of mayoral control over New York City public schools shortly before such authority would have expired at midnight Friday morning.
“This system has shown its success, with expanded educational options for students and parents, and improved academic outcomes,” Hochul said in a legislative memo.
“Mayor [Eric] Adams has proposed to improve the system, and he should be given the same opportunity as his predecessors to do so,” Hochul added.
The extension was a top priority for Adams, who endorsed Hochul shortly before her landslide victory in the Democratic primary for governor.
Sources say the mayor leaned on the governor to get concessions from state lawmakers in exchange for signing the bill into law, which passed the state Legislature weeks ago.
The tweaks, which will likely pass the state Legislature early next year, include delaying the expansion of the Panel on Education Policy from 15 to 23 members until Jan. 15, 2023 – an expansion reportedly backed by the city’s powerful teacher’s union.
“The bill as drafted required technical edits to ensure that the City has sufficient time to properly effectuate this expanded and inclusive governance model through the new Panel on Education Policy,” Hochul said in the memo.
The governor has yet to sign legislation that would mandate the city decrease class sizes in city schools, which Adams has argued the city cannot afford without enduring budget cuts to schools.
“We like the idea of class sizes. We just have to do it correctly — that we don’t impact our ability to ensure that those students in those schools that are in need receive the support they deserve,” Adams said Thursday.
