From Polls to Policy: Students Divided on Mamdani’s Educational Transition

Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election on November 4, 2025. Throughout his campaign, Mamdani’s main focus was to make New York City more affordable, as he advocated for free buses, city-run grocery stores, and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized housing. Despite this, many students feel that Mamdani has not had a clear focus on policies for youth and education. On Mamdani’s official website, where information pertaining to his policies and stance can be found, only one paragraph is written on K-12 education. The confusion and disagreements among students regarding these policies reflect this lack of content, highlighting a need for politicians like Mamdani to focus more on their education programs and strategies.

In Mamdani’s speeches, social media posts, and interviews, he has not focused primarily on youth and education. The New York City public school system, which comprises over 1,700 schools and close to one million students, is the nation’s largest public school system, and tackling it with specific solutions is necessary. During the first primary debate, Mamdani was questioned about education. The main ideas he shared surrounded child poverty and reducing segregation in schools, but did not cover how he would specifically help manage the large public school system. Stuyvesant students, many of whom followed Mamdani’s campaign as it progressed, felt this lack of specificity. “[It’s] not enough. [Education is] a big part of his program, but I feel like he needs to make it a little more,” freshman Gabriel Solis said. 

Others tried to explain why Mamdani may not have emphasized education as much, since there are important issues that sway voters. “I feel like he had bigger priorities during his campaign. I heard a lot about free buses and rent control,” freshman Mikaela Korostyshevski commented.

The lack of education policy in Mamdani’s campaign has had a major effect on student awareness of the main policies that relate to them the most. “I’ve heard bits and pieces, but nothing too specific,” said freshman Jerry Dong, who shared that he did not know any of Mamdani’s specific educational policies. This lack of understanding of politicians’ stances is a symptom of a larger issue that afflicts many students and people across the country, contributing to longer-term implications such as a lack of political involvement and susceptibility to misinformation.

While Mamdani’s campaign focused less on education, he has provided some key proposals, including the removal of a kindergarten entry point to Gifted and Talented programs (G&T), the phasing out of charter schools, and the possible reexamination of special admissions processes for schools. “I’ve heard that he wants to get rid of the SHSAT because he feels that it’s racist,” Korostyshevski said. This idea came from a statement made by Mamdani in an interview with the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club in February 2022, in response to a question about addressing the ongoing effects of slavery, colonialism, and discrimination in New York City. In this interview, Mamdani said, “I support measures to integrate our public schools and fully fund our education system, including the abolition of the SHSAT.” However, since then, only one other statement has been made by a spokesperson, who stated that Mamdani “has no plans” to immediately oppose the current testing system.

However, Mamdani still seeks to phase out G&T programs for younger students, asserting that assessments or teacher nominations for four year olds are not accurate measures of “academic giftedness. “I understand [his policy]; I don’t think it’s healthy for kids to be having competition this young,” said junior Mabel Yang.

However, many students at Stuyvesant have benefited from a gifted and talented program and had negative reactions to this proposed policy. “I hate that. I think it’s unfair. See, some people work hard to get into the G&T schools,” freshman Maddy Marcus stated. However, G&T programs perpetuate school segregation, as the majority of students in such programs are disproportionately White or Asian.

Another one of Mamdani’s more publicized ideas surrounding education was phasing out charter schools—schools that receive both private and government funding and are independent from the Department of Education, meaning they do not follow the same policies as public schools. “Charter schools siphon resources away from public education, often without real accountability or oversight,” said Mamdani’s campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec. Mamdani’s proposal has gained support from members of the student body, some of whom have concerns about the treatment of children in charter schools. “Those schools enforce strict behavioral policies, and their education is unnecessarily accelerated. The kids there are just very unhappy, so it’s a good plan,” freshman Stephen Ha stated, explaining his experience engaging with kids in charter schools. Nonetheless, even this more widely supported policy is still very controversial, with many families and school administrators across the city fighting against it.

While the majority of the student body is in favor of Mamdani—he won Stuyvesant’s mock election this winter—his policies on education remain unknown or unclear to many. Those who are informed of these measures have differing views on them. While it is unclear how the Mamdani will take over the nation’s largest public school system, large advisory committees will hopefully aid Mamdani with the beginning of an administration that can truly make a difference for all public school students.