Exclusive | Education researchers flunk NYC Dem mayoral candidates school platforms: D or an F grade across the board

When it comes to education, the Democratic candidates for mayor deserve a dunce cap and a failing grade, according to a new research study.A new Manhattan Institute report — dubbed an “Education Agenda for New York City’s Mayor” — recommends reviving policies from the Mike Blomberg era: championing the expansion of charter schools, increasing merit-based schools, closing and consolidating low-performing and under-enrolled schools, and implementing accountability measures such as publishing A to F report cards rating each school’s performance.It also calls for scaling back the costly class size reduction law, which will drive up the city Department of Education’s $40 billion-plus budget — already $33,000 per student — while enrollment is 12% lower than pre-pandemic 2019.But none of the top-tier Democratic candidates for mayor are promoting or talking about most of these measures, said Ray Domanico, co-author of the report provided to The Post on Wednesday.“I give the mayoral candidates a D or an F grade across the board,” said Domanico, who wrote the report with fellow researcher Danyela Egorov.He said the exception was Democratic candidate Whitney Tilson, the hedge fund executive who has embraced many of the ideas in the new report, particularly promoting school choice and accountability and overhauling the class size reduction law.But Tilson is barely registering in the polls.“Under Bloomberg, education improved considerably, particularly for low income students and students in communities of color.

It’s very disappointing that no one wants to accept the undeniable success,” said Damonico, the former director of education research at the city’s Independent Budget OfficeThe emergence of charter schools is “the biggest educational improvement in the last quarter century,” Damonico added.About 150,000 or 15% of all NYC public school students attend 281 charter schools across the five boroughs.Students in charters — publicly funded,...