Alex Zimmerman

Kamar Samuels announces 11-member cabinet, keeps 6 holdovers in NYC schools shakeup Chancellor Kamar Samuels is reshaping the Education Department’s leadership — but not starting from scratch.

Chancellor Kamar Samuels is reshaping the Education Department’s leadership — but not starting from scratch.

Two top NYC education deputies exit as Kamar Samuels prepares to name new cabinet members After two months leading the nation’s largest school system, Kamar Samuels is poised to unveil his leadership team as a flurry of senior deputies step aside.

New: Chancellor Kamar Samuels is poised to announce new cabinet members tomorrow morning as two top deputies step aside

He told principals to expect changes to the Education Department's "organizational structure" in an email tonight
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

After racist comment goes viral, NYC halts closure of Upper West Side middle school Racist comments caught on a hot mic thrust a small Upper West Side middle school into the spotlight — and prompted city officials to reverse their plans to close it.

NEW: NYC officials have reversed a decision to close the Community Action School on the UWS after mom’s viral racist remark sparks outcry
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

NYC students to spend about 20 fewer days in school than national peers. Learning likely suffers. It adds up: On top of the snow day and several professional development days keeping kids home from school, NYC’s shorter school day means kids in the five boroughs are in class less than national cou...

NYC students are in class ~20 fewer days compared w/ the national average — largely b/c the city has a shorter school day
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

‘He has not been afraid to touch the third rail’: Meet Kamar Samuels, NYC’s schools chief Zohran Mamdani said he selected Samuels because of his knowledge of the city’s school system and track record of seeking ambitious changes.

“He has not been afraid to touch the third rail and have difficult conversations."

Great profile of NYC schools chancellor Kamar Samuels, who has a tough job in front of him. via @alexzimmerman.bsky.social and @amyzimmer.bsky.social

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz seeks to transfer a NYC charter school to her husband Eva Moskowitz wants to transfer a Bronx charter school to her husband, raising eyebrows from state officials

Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz wants to hand over a Bronx charter school for her husband to operate — an arrangement that is raising eyebrows among state education officials
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

Great read from @alexzimmerman.bsky.social on NYC’s new chancellor, his vision for the system, and what happens when Mamdani visits an elementary school: www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026...

As Mamdani vows to end mayoral control of NYC schools, it has already weakened under Adams Zohran Mamdani campaigned on ending mayoral control of NYC schools. Eric Adams has already ceded some of it.

Adams allowed mayoral vacancies to fester for months, which has created a bunch of headaches for the Education Department (especially when it came to negotiating school bus contracts)

Now, at the last minute, Adams us suddenly interested in filling seats
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

City Hall says "expect more news soon" on whether Adams will fill the two remaining mayoral vacancies on the PEP

If he does, Mamdani will not be able appoint anyone to NYC's school board until June unless other mayoral appointees resign

Adams appoints GOP’s Borelli to school panel, stacking another board before Mamdani takes office The string of eleventh-hour nominations have been viewed by Adams’ critics and supporters alike as an effort to stymie Mamdani’s Democratic Socialist agenda.

Adams has appointed a former GOP councilman to NYC's schools oversight panel, as the mayor continues to stack boards related to housing, policing and now education before Mamdani takes office, w/ @c-sommerfeldt.bsky.social @josiestratman.bsky.social
www.nydailynews.com/2025/12/15/a...

Officials mistakenly told NYC principals students with weapons would face automatic arrest Education Department officials erroneously told principals that students found with items like scalpels or switchblades would face automatic arrest.

Education officials told NYC principals last week that students must be automatically arrested if they were found with weapons including scalpels and switchblades

That is not true - but the DOE has yet to inform principals their policy guidance was wrong
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

NYC’s child care voucher waitlist swells to 10,000, leaving working parents in the lurch The waitlist for child care vouchers swelled to 10,000 children, forcing low-income working parents to rely on unstable care. Can Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani fix the problem?

One sign of how bad NYC’s child care crisis has gotten: there are *10,000* kids sitting on a waitlist for low-income child care vouchers b/c the program is out of $. Some observers say that’s a logical place for Mamdani to start his push for universal child care: www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

As Mamdani vows to end mayoral control of NYC schools, it has already weakened under Adams Zohran Mamdani campaigned on ending mayoral control of NYC schools. Eric Adams has already ceded some of it.

“The idea that we are rubber stamps and aren’t making judgements — that’s in the past."

Now that mayoral control of the NYC schools isn't so tight, will Mamdani still try to loosen it? Great reporting by @alexzimmerman.bsky.social

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Eric Adams declares victory on class size reduction — by issuing 10,500 exemptions NYC officials quietly issued thousands of exemptions to class size law. Did your school get one?

New w/ @alexzimmerman.bsky.social: NYC declared victory on a major class size deadline: >60% of classes under the caps. What they didn’t mention: they only got there by quietly declaring 10,500 classes exempt. W/o those, DOE would’ve been at 59.5% compliance: www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

It seems very plausible that there is room to be smarter w/ contracting. But also notable that they didn't offer many examples. The only one Mamdani offered is DOE did not rigorously track the technology it bought for remote learning in the middle of a global health emergency

Who is David Banks? The top NYC schools chancellor candidate - Chalkbeat The Eagle Academy founder is considered to be at the top of New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ list for schools chancellor or another key role in the new administration.

Yeah, my understanding is he never seriously considered anyone else. It was pretty clear well before December:
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2021...

if Adams said publicly he was considering Porter that definitely would have been newsworthy!

Mamdani’s opponents want to grow NYC’s gifted programs. Attracting students isn’t easy. Cuomo and Silwa want to expand kindergarten gifted classes. Mamdani prefers to keep programs starting in third grade. A new analysis uncovered lagging enrollment in the current program.

After Mamdani announced plans to phase out gifted programs, Cuomo + Sliwa said they would expand them instead

Eric Adams tried to do that — and roughly 1 in 3 of the city's gifted programs are underenrolled. Heres why w/ @michaelelsenroo.bsky.social
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

NYC gifted and talented: Mamdani’s calls for change comes amid already shifting landscape Mamdani wants to rethink gifted and talented in NYC schools. The program has already seen big changes.

Lost in the debate over NYC’s gifted and talented program rekindled by Mamdani’s proposal was the fact that the program underwent a big change in recent years: eliminating its admissions test. @alexzimmerman.bsky.social dug into how that change has played out: www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Eric Adams’ first schools Chancellor David Banks shares his thoughts on the last year of Adams’ tenure as news comes he won’t seek a second term. Via @alexzimmerman.bsky.social:

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

NY lawmakers demand investigation into charter school rally, alleging coercion After a major charter school rally, two state senators are calling for an investigation into whether schools pressured families, staff, and students to attend.

One parent, whose child attends a Zeta charter school, felt forced to miss work at a restaurant on Thursday to join the rally.
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

After Trump administration threat, Adams targets transgender student bathroom policies Mayor Eric Adams’ comments come after the Trump administration threatened to hold up federal grant funding to NYC because of the city’s policies on transgender students.

After federal funding threat, NYC Mayor Eric Adams targets transgender students’ bathroom access
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Really excited for this talk next week at Lofty Pigeon about two important books. NYC education folks - would love to see you there!

Why your kid’s NYC school calendar has fewer days than you think State law requires New York schools to have 180 instructional days. But this year, New York City students are only in class for 176 days.

New York students are supposed to have 180 days of school. NYC Public Schools has 176. @amyzimmer.bsky.social explains why:

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Zohran Mamdani stays mum on plans to improve NYCs highest-need public schools Asked how he would improve New York City’s highest-need schools, Zohran Mamdani offered few concrete policy ideas.

"To several education advocates and observers, the response underscored that Mamdani has largely stuck to broad promises to invest in schools rather than advancing detailed ideas." www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Student Journalists Interview NYC Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos (P.S. Weekly) YouTube video by The Bell

This is a worthwhile watch for stakeholders in NYCPS or people generally interested in K-12 issues, a nice get for these student journalists! youtu.be/cWWsh7sz4j0?...

Meet Zohran Mamdani’s favorite NYC high school teacher Marc Kagan shares his memories teaching Zohran Mamdani at Bronx Science.

really liked this @alexzimmerman.bsky.social piece talking with @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's favorite teacher

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Meet Zohran Mamdani’s favorite NYC high school teacher Marc Kagan shares his memories teaching Zohran Mamdani at Bronx Science

On the campaign trail, @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social shouted out his favorite teacher at Bronx Science.

Here's what that teacher, Marc Kagan, remembers about having Mamdani in class:
www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

Part 2 is out today. It’s about what happens after the deportation campaign arrives at ELLIS’ doorstep and the difficult choices facing Bridget and the school as they try to make it through the Trump administration.

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...

If you read one thing today, read this 👇