Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Thousands of New Yorkers gathered on Thursday to support charter schools in a "Rally and March for Excellence" across the Brooklyn Bridge. Over 15,000 students, parents, and staff participated, advocating for the educational choices that charter schools offer. The event comes as charter school supporters express concerns about Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral frontrunner, who opposes charter school expansion.
Charter schools are publicly funded but operate independently from the local school system. Mamdani's campaign has criticized them for "siphoning resources away from public education," as reported by the New York Daily News. His platform includes auditing charter schools and scrutinizing their funding and operations.
The rally, which featured speakers and performers like rapper Common, was organized by charter school leaders who emphasized the importance of educational choice for families, particularly those of color. Bishop Raymond Rivera, founder of Family Life Academy Charter Schools, highlighted the need for quality education as part of an affordability agenda.
While organizers claimed the rally was not politically motivated, the timing, six weeks ahead of the mayoral election, drew attention. Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy, expressed concerns about potential threats to charter schools, including issues with facilities and funding. She urged families to remind elected officials that "charter schools are public schools," according to Chalkbeat.
The charter school sector in New York City serves about 150,000 students, roughly 15% of the public school population. Although mayors cannot directly change the number of charter schools, they can influence the environment in which they operate. As Mamdani leads in the polls, charter advocates worry about the future of their schools under his potential administration.
Photo Credit: Getty Images