Meet Your Mayor
Answer the questions below to see which candidates for NYC mayor agree with you most
Welcome to Meet Your Mayor, which shows you how the candidates’ stands fit with your take on the issues that matter most to New Yorkers.
If you’re new to Meet Your Mayor, learn more about how it works and what to expect now through the June 22 primary.
Answer the following four questions on education to see which candidates for mayor most closely match the future you want to see for New York City.
Customize your results with your profile image
Logging in is optional and used exclusively to obtain a profile image. We don't store any data from the above providers. Read our full privacy statement for this interactive.
Under state law, admissions for prestigious Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech and Bronx High School of Science are based solely on a single standardized examination. The city Department of Education voluntarily uses the same test for admission for an additional five schools. Black and Latino students are underrepresented at these schools.
Question 1 of 4
Garcia has suggested implementing the “Texas model,” where top-performing students at every middle school are offered seats at specialized high schools.
from Uptown Community Democrats forum, Jan. 15, 2021
"I believe that we can take that on modify the test and, if necessary if we don't get results, get rid of it, but we should also recognize that there are just eight specialized high schools in the city...there are roughly 400 high schools."
from Columbia Law School education panel, Jan. 27, 2021
Foldenauer called for a holistic admission process. "Schools can have an admissions committee that considers other aspects" such as "diversity, essays, accomplishment, the student's upbringing."
from THE CITY Interview, April 29, 2021
“I think the specialized high schools are one element on which we should focus. I would teach, though, to the child; I would not teach to the test. I think we need to expand criteria."
from New York Jewish Agenda forum, Feb. 18, 2021
"The specialty test must be maintained for the elite high schools and the Gifted and Talented programs have to be maintained but we also have to put pressure on promoting vocational training."
from NY1, Feb. 27, 2021
“When you go to the college level, you have to take entrance exams. And those exams are going to be even more significant as it relates to your ability to get into a school. … What we need to do is invest in kids equally, so everybody's bright, so that everyone has opportunity.”
from THE CITY interview , May 12, 2021
“I would not abandon the SHSAT, but I would broaden the criteria were using and I think if we do that we can actually get some of the families into these specialized high schools in a way that's going to benefit them.”
from Spectrum News NY1, Jan. 14, 2021
Chang favors phasing out the SHSAT over four years, saying: "65% of black students do not graduate with proficiency. And what's little known is that 60% of Asian students do not also graduate with proficiency. SHSAT pits communities of colors against each other in a false debate."
from THE CITY Interview, April 30, 2021
“As a graduate of a specialized high school, I will say — much to the chagrin of many of my classmates — that I do not believe that the SHSAT serves our children.”
from New York Jewish Agenda forum, Jan. 15, 2021
"Replace it with a seventh grade statewide test that will allow more black and brown students to access our specialized high schools."
from New York Jewish Agenda forum, Feb. 18, 2021
“We have to eliminate school-based admissions policies that are not based on anything except privileging folks who can pay for tutoring and supports to get people through a test.”
from Uptown Community Democrats forum, Jan. 15, 2021
Eric Adams, Isaac Wright Jr.
The state controls the number of charter schools that may operate in the city, currently 267, with no additional charters remaining. Some 12% of the city’s 1.1 million public school students attend a charter school.
Question 2 of 4
"Charter schools are actually in underserved communities. And they're doing good work. They're trying new pedagogical methods for troubled children."
from THE CITY Interview, April 29, 2021
“I do support raising the charter cap because I want every kid to have the opportunity and I want every adult who's thinking creatively about how to do education, do education well, to have the opportunity to do that. I mean I wish that we had great public schools in every neighborhood today but I'm not willing to wait until we get there for the kids who are in school right now.”
from 2021 Mayoral Forum on Educational Equity in NYC, May 24, 2021
McGuire supports city control of the cap on charter schools. “As mayor, Ray will work to increase the number of charter chools allowed in NYC and give families as many high-quality school options as possible,” said a spokesperson.
from THE CITY Interview , March 11, 2021
"To the extent that there are charters that are allocated by the state that are not being used, I think that we should look at reallocating them. But in my mind it’s about whether a school is performing for our kids. There're public schools doing great work and there're charter schools doing great work and that should be the goal."
from THE CITY interview, March 11, 2021
"Increasing the number of charter schools will take away from the focus on improving quality in the city's public schools."
from THE CITY Interview, April 30, 2021
Morales said the city should gain control over the number of charter schools and stop them from increasing.
from Empire State Indivisible's Albany Agenda forum, Feb. 8, 2021
Stringer supports keeping the current cap on charter schools and letting the state control it.
from THE CITY interview, March 11, 2021
"As Mayor, I will consider advocating to lift the cap to increase the number of high-quality charter schools under stricter conditions than what is currently in place. Charter schools are a small but critical part of the educational landscape in New York City that has piloted innovations and are disproportionately chosen by Black and Latinx families; where they are performing well, they must be allowed to continue to serve the families who have picked them as the best option for their children."
from THE CITY interview, Feb. 8, 2021
“I'm a supporter of charter schools but I really wish that they would devote some of their curriculum to vocational training.”
from Decision NYC With Ben Max, MNN, Jan. 27, 2021
Eric Adams, Isaac Wright Jr., Paperboy Prince, Joycelyn Taylor
Middle school admissions are limited to children already living in or attending elementary school in the same district, even as NYC’s current mayor says geographic restrictions on high school admissions will end starting next year.
Question 3 of 4
"Sending kids to schools in the neighborhoods in which they live is important. That creates a sense of community."
from THE CITY Interview, April 29, 2021
“We should make sure that we keep the doors open for people to have access to the best of the best. When my son was in middle school, he didn't go to the school in his district. He went to another school because this school offered more.”
from THE CITY interview , May 12, 2021
“I think we need to re-examine any method or barrier that is preventing us from diversifying our schools.”
from Columbia Law School education panel, Jan. 27, 2021
Chang said removing geographical restrictions "allows for the opportunity for greater integration."
from THE CITY Interview, April 30, 2021
“We should remove all screenings and all barriers to access to schools that exist currently. I think that also means that we need to look at redrawing district lines and district boundaries.”
from Columbia Law School education panel, Jan. 27, 2021
Isaac Wright Jr.
Some public schools popular among high-earning families aggressively fundraise to help pay for extracurricular programs and enhancements not available to most NYC students.
Question 4 of 4
"Would I share the funding of those people who have been successful funding with others? I would share the resources."
from Education First Mayoral Candidates Forum, Jan. 28, 2021
"Let’s share the knowledge to share the dollars so that we can have all our children succeed together.”
from UFT Mayoral Town Hall, April 7, 2020
"We need to set a threshold per student of money that can be raised. And...50 cents of every dollar raised should go into a pool to benefit all the other schools."
from THE CITY Interview, April 30, 2021
"Ability of of these associations to raise money furthers inequality in our school systems, which affects us all at the end of the day."
from THE CITY Interview, April 29, 2021
"I would share to a point, having been on the PTA and on the [school] leadership team."
from Education First Mayoral Candidates Forum, Jan. 28, 2021
“Under my education plan, we're going to equalize after-school funding. If one school gets chess, every school gets chess. One school gets robotics, every school gets robotics. If one school gets athletics, everyone gets athletics. We're going to create one system, so once the PTA is known that everyone is equal in every school. We can share that prosperity.”
from UFT Mayoral Town Hall, April 7, 2020
Taylor said parents in low-income neighborhoods don't have extra money and networks to contribute to school parent associations. “If we don't create an equitable system, it won't ever exist.”
from THE CITY interview , May 12, 2021
Isaac Wright Jr.
Reporting by Ann Choi and Mónica Cordero, development by Will Welch, editing by Alyssa Katz. Candidate images from Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY, Alejandro Durán/THE CITY, Shutterstock and campaign websites.