Max Politics — Issue Brief: Education

Episode Date: May 1, 2021
Host: Ben Max (Gotham Gazette)
Guest: Jarrett Murphy (City Limits)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this special episode, Ben Max and Jarrett Murphy present an in-depth discussion on key education issues shaping the 2021 New York City election cycle. They analyze the historical and current challenges facing public schools, especially in the context of mayoral control, funding, segregation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and forthcoming mayoral priorities. The episode is crafted as an essential primer for voters, advocates, and anyone interested in how education shapes — and is shaped by — New York City politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Centrality of Education in NYC Politics

• NYC’s Budget: Education accounts for the largest portion — about $20 billion annually, nearly a third of the city’s budget.
• Historical Importance: Local government, especially mayors, have long focused on education, given its impact on income, civic participation, and social outcomes.
• Recent Mayoral Approaches:
  • Michael Bloomberg: Cast himself as the "education mayor," won mayoral control, closed failing schools, promoted charter schools, and pushed accountability through testing.
  • Bill de Blasio: Promoted universal pre-K (his "main legacy item" [01:46]), undertook an “equity and excellence” agenda, was friendly to teachers’ unions, opposed charter school expansion, and was hesitant on desegregation reforms.
    • “De Blasio got elected in part on his promise for universal pre-kindergarten. He's executed that. It's widely seen as his main legacy item and achievement, his biggest accomplishment.” — Ben Max [01:46]

Complexity in Education Governance

• Multiple Overlapping Authorities: While the mayor controls the Department of Education (DOE), there is shared power with the Panel for Educational Policy, City Council, state authorities, and powerful unions.
• State Involvement: The Governor, Legislature, State Education Department, and Board of Regents hold significant authority — for example, controlling funding, charter school caps, and admissions to specialized high schools.
  • “The power that rests in sort of state level entities on education is immense... New York City needs to ask for permission, ask for funding, ask for policy changes.” — Ben Max [05:45]

The Persistent Issue of School Choice and Segregation

• Parental Choices: Unlike policing or roads, families with means can opt out (private/parochial schools), which shapes and complicates public policy and exacerbates inequities.
• Segregation & Equity: NYC schools remain deeply segregated. Efforts to address this include attempts at changing admissions processes for specialized/gifted programs, often producing community friction, especially among Asian and Black/Latino parents.
• Desegregation Efforts: De Blasio’s moves have been gradual and viewed as insufficient by many advocates.

COVID-19 Impact and Recovery

• Remote Learning Fallout: The pandemic exposed vast inequities — from the digital divide to increased rates of homeless students (over 100,000).
• Academic and Emotional Losses: Significant concern about learning loss, uneven academic experiences, and emotional/social tolls, especially for vulnerable students.
  • “There's obviously the digital divide that has become such an enormous focus during COVID because of remote learning.” — Ben Max [08:54]
• Mayoral Leadership During COVID: De Blasio's handling of COVID and school reopening is both criticized and praised; the legacy of recovery will likely be the next mayor’s job.

Hot-Button Topics for the 2021 Election

• Admissions Policies: Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), gifted & talented programs, and other “screens” are in the spotlight.
• School Safety: Debates about police presence and the need for counselors, social workers, and nurses in schools.
• Mayoral Control of Schools: Most mayoral candidates support its continuation, but with different nuances.
• Under-discussed Issues: Connections to the CUNY system, support for English language learners, and preparedness for college/careers.

Broader Questions for Candidates

• Vision for Schools: What is the purpose of NYC public education — workforce preparation, civic engagement, equity?
• System Management: Questions about leadership style, the role of the schools chancellor, bureaucratic reform, and tackling class size and overcrowding.
  • "What qualities are you looking for in a school's chancellor? What type of school's chancellor would you appoint?" — Ben Max [16:58]

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Education's Pervasive Influence:
  “Everything in life returns in terms of income, your participation, democracy, everything flows from that [education]." — Jarrett Murphy [00:47]

• On De Blasio’s Legacy:
  “He's executed [universal pre-K]. It's widely seen as his main legacy item and achievement, his biggest accomplishment.” — Ben Max [01:46]

• On Challenges of Governance:
  “A lot of other kind of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to education policy.” — Jarrett Murphy [05:12]

• COVID’s Exposure of Inequality:
  “Covid has exposed or further exposed major crises related to education, related to just society.” — Ben Max [08:56]

• On the Need for Candidates to Offer Details:
  “There’s been limited discussion about CUNY, and there probably needs to be a mayoral forum just focused on CUNY.” — Ben Max [13:18] "It's really a soup to nuts issue. Right? We're talking about vision, what is the role of schools... right down to questions about pedagogy." — Jarrett Murphy [15:11]

Important Timestamps

• 00:22 — Education’s share of NYC budget and historic context
• 01:41 — Breakdown of Bloomberg vs. de Blasio approaches to education policy
• 04:38 — Parental choice and the role of private/charter schools
• 05:32 - 07:32 — Complexity of governance; state and mayoral roles
• 08:46 — COVID-19’s impact on learning and the responsibilities awaiting the next mayor
• 10:32 - 12:57 — Persistent segregation, admissions controversies, and CUNY connections
• 13:00 — Mayoral race issues: hot topics, policy gaps, and education plan shortages
• 15:11 — Granular challenges: management, pedagogy, and resource allocation
• 16:40 — Key questions for mayoral candidates: integration, learning loss, and management vision

Summary Table of 2021 Mayoral Education Debate Topics

| Issue | Description | |-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | COVID-19 Response | Catching up on learning loss; mental/social recovery; digital divide | | Mayoral Control | Role, advantages, and potential reforms | | Funding & Resources | Fair allocation, overcrowding, class sizes | | Segregation & Integration | Admissions reforms, racial equity, effects on communities | | Admissions Policies | SHSAT, gifted/talented, middle/high school screens | | School Safety | Police vs. counselors/social workers/nurses; discipline vs. support | | CUNY System | College readiness, transition from K-12, resource challenges | | Special Populations | English language learners, students with disabilities, homeless youth |

Closing

The episode positions education as the “vexing issue” at the heart of NYC’s politics, tying together history, policy, equity, and the critical choices facing voters and candidates in 2021. Max and Murphy advocate for deeper, more visionary plans from candidates—beyond slogans and surface-level debates—to truly advance the city’s education system post-COVID and beyond.