The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is reportedly planning a "radical takeover" of New York City public schools, aiming to influence curriculum and governance. According to reports, the group intends to introduce a "democratic socialist frame" into education, potentially teaching concepts from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This initiative is allegedly being pursued by leveraging relationships with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, described as a "comrade" of the DSA.
A meeting titled "Planning for Socialist School Governance" was reportedly led by Nina Bruckenthal, co-chair of the NYC DSA Labor Working Group and a math teacher at NEST+m, and Amanda Vender, an ESL teacher at the International High School of Sciences. The discussions focused on overhauling the curriculum to incorporate "class consciousness," a Marxist concept viewing owners and workers as in conflict, and "race consciousness," with an emphasis on institutional racism in pedagogy.
Maureen Fadem, a professor at CUNY Kingsborough Community College, is quoted as advocating for a curriculum revision, stating, "The curriculum as a whole needs to be relooked at, revisioned and reframed." Fadem has also reportedly argued for slavery reparations and criticized the existing curriculum as being shaped by a conservative perspective.
Concerns have been raised by some within the DSA about potential parental backlash, with one teacher noting that "school choice exists, parents are going to pull away and go to charter schools that are ununionized." The group reportedly plans to counter this by fighting school choice and strengthening the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).
The DSA's agenda is also expected to be integrated into upcoming contract negotiations between the UFT and New York City. Bruckenthal is quoted as saying, "We can make real wins through our contract bargaining process. ... something that is strategic and winnable could be won through our bargaining."
Maud Maron, former Community Education Council 2 President, criticized the DSA's alleged motives, stating, "Childless apparatchiks seeking access to other people’s children in order to convert them to their beliefs is the definition of grooming. Hands off the kids."
Many DSA members are reportedly part of the UFT's Movement of Rank-and-File Educators (MORE) caucus, which has collaborated with the UFT on anti-Israel protests. The UFT contract is set to expire on November 28, 2027, a timeline that the DSA may seek to utilize for advancing its goals within the union and influencing local politics.