Affordable, high-quality education for NYC children becomes increasingly accessible - a genuine progressive would advocate for an expansion of charter schools
In the heart of New York City, a movement is gathering momentum, with thousands of parents, educators, and advocates rallying for the expansion of charter schools. The city's public school system, which serves over a million students, has been grappling with challenges, as evidenced by the fact that more than 40% of children in grades 3-8 failed math and English in this year's spring state tests.
The proponents of charter schools argue that these institutions aim for and largely deliver excellence in education, far surpassing the regular public-school system. This claim is backed by the impressive pass rates of students attending charter schools in the Bronx. For instance, kids attending these schools had pass rates at least 25 points better than students in the borough's Department of Education (DOE) schools. Citywide, Success scholars passed at nearly twice the rate of DOE schools.
The city now boasts 286 charter schools, but the growth of these schools is being hindered by a state law that blocks new charters from opening. As a result, tens of thousands of poor and minority children are languishing on charter school waitlists.
The mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, supports the cap on charter schools and wants to evict existing ones from their buildings. However, many argue that Mamdani should reconsider his stance. If he truly wants to show he cares about delivering better lives for the city's less-privileged, he could switch sides and join the charter revolution.
The New York City Department of Education and various education advocacy groups support lifting the charter school capacity cap to improve opportunities for low-income and minority children. Bishop Raymond Rivera, founder of the Family Life Academy charter network, stated that students have a civil right to obtain a quality education and should have a choice.
This sentiment was echoed by more than 15,000 charter parents and supporters who marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, declaring "Excellence Is a Civil Right." They urged the state Legislature to lift the charter cap and stop union allies inside the DOE from denying charter schools space to handle their ever-growing enrollment.
Anyone who truly cares about "affordability" should be striving to get more charters open. By providing quality education to the city's less-privileged children, charter schools offer a pathway out of poverty and a brighter future. Mamdani, at least, should at least promise to get out of the way of a movement that's building better futures for as many kids as possible.
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