New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed individuals described as ideologues to the Panel for Education Policy, a move critics contend prioritizes "social justice" agendas over addressing the city's escalating illiteracy rates and declining academic performance. The appointments come as a significant portion of city schoolchildren are failing state reading tests.
At least three of the 13 new appointees have been identified with specific ideological stances. Lucas Koehler, the City College CFO, previously advocated for segregated anti-racism "struggle sessions" within city schools during his tenure at the Department of Education from 2014 to 2022. Raysa Rodriguez, who heads the Citizens Committee for Children, has publicly supported defunding the police. Madeline Fox, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, was among a group of Jewish faculty who signed a letter denying the existence of antisemitism on U.S. campuses and accusing Israel of genocide.
These appointments are being scrutinized in light of recent data showing a substantial increase in the number of third- to fifth-grade students failing state reading tests, with over half now falling into this category. According to an Empire Center poll, 95% of New Yorkers believe the Department of Education should focus on improving reading and math scores.
Mamdani has not outlined specific plans to improve student proficiency in core subjects like reading, math, or science, nor to address the rising numbers of chronically absent students. The criticism suggests a focus on what is termed "indoctrination" rather than academic remediation.