Mayor abandons major campaign promise to end mayoral control system
Political Calculation Overrides Campaign Promise on School Governance
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a significant about-face on one of his most prominent campaign pledges: abandoning his promise to end mayoral control of New York City’s public schools. Instead, he will ask Albany legislators to extend the governance model when it comes up for renewal in June 2026. The reversal came on December 31, 2025, the day before his inauguration, when Mamdani announced Kamar Samuels, a veteran Manhattan superintendent, as his new schools chancellor.
Promise to Reform Rather Than Eliminate
Mamdani acknowledged the discrepancy at his announcement: “With the appointment of Kamar, I want to acknowledge I have been skeptical of mayoral control in the past, even at times going as far as wanting to end the system entirely.” He continued: “So though I have concerns about mayoral control, I also acknowledge that New Yorkers need to know where the buck stops: with me.” The mayor pledged to work with Samuels toward a reformed version of mayoral control that will “engage parents, teachers, and students in decision-making,” but maintained he would ask Albany for an extension of the system.
Strategic Appointment of Samuels Signals Mayoral Control Commitment
Samuels brings 20 years of Education Department experience, beginning as an elementary teacher in the Bronx and rising to borough superintendent roles. As Manhattan District 3 superintendent, he oversaw controversial school mergers and led integration efforts. Education law experts, including Brooklyn College professor David Bloomfield, called the appointment “a good pick” while characterizing it as “a strong show of mayoral control which is unexpected” for someone who campaigned against it. Samuels will step into his role with schools resuming classes following winter break. Outgoing Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos agreed to advise the transition for one month.
Albany Must Approve Four-Year Extension
Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a four-year extension of mayoral control in her January 2026 budget, which would give Mamdani authority over the nation’s largest school system for his entire first term. The governor’s budget director Blake Washington told reporters this extension represents Hochul’s priority. The Foundation Aid formula would send 15.1 billion dollars to New York City, a 2.5 percent increase. The city’s schools system faces persistent challenges: nearly 45 percent of students in grades 3-8 remain below grade level; 154,000 students are homeless; and Mamdani’s teacher recruitment plan targets 1,000 educators annually through tuition assistance. The reversal on mayoral control reflects political reality: maintaining direct control appears essential to implementing Mamdani’s broader education agenda, particularly universal child care plans requiring coordinated governance.
