Housing

Education and Childcare

After public safety, the Mayor of New York City has no higher calling than ensuring that the more than 900,000 students enrolled in the New York City public school system receive a high-quality education. The sheer size of the school system makes mayoral control an imperative to ensure accountability for performance. A commitment to excellence and high standards must go hand-in-hand with adequate resources.

Andrew Cuomo’s Education Plan Will

• Reduce class size. Secure state funding to implement the Reduced Class Size law so it is not an unfunded mandate. Ensure the Reduced Class Size law does not reduce the capacity of selective schools.
• Guarantee a suitable 3-K slot to all families and expand after school programs. Ensure sufficient 3-K programs are available to offer slots aligned with where families live and work.
• Strengthen Community Schools as a hub for social services in high poverty districts. Increase the number of School-Based Health Centers with a goal of having a SBHC in every Community School.
• Address chronic absenteeism and teacher attrition. The current 35% chronic absenteeism rate (more than 50% in certain areas) is unacceptable and must be fixed, beginning with stronger engagement with parents. To reduce teacher attrition, we need better working conditions, improved safety, and enhanced mentoring.
• Strengthen career and technical education (CTE). CTE programs are a key pathway to economic mobility. Partner with businesses and develop apprenticeship programs to develop good paying jobs for students who don’t have college degrees.
  
  

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