Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has drawn widespread attention for his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America and what some see as antisemitic rhetoric. But beyond the headlines, it’s the education platform Mamdani champions that could pose the greatest threat to New York City families — especially those striving to access better schools and brighter futures for their children.
At the core of Mamdani’s approach is an unambiguous rejection of school choice. He opposes vouchers, charter school expansion, and even co-location policies that allow high-performing charters to operate in underutilized public school buildings. His platform calls for a funding overhaul that could severely reduce resources for charter schools, even though they serve 15 percent of city students.
Mamdani opposes charter schools and vouchers based on the claim that they divert public resources, lack accountability and mainly benefit wealthier families at the expense of low-income students. He argues that voucher programs, despite being marketed as tools to help struggling students, are often used by affluent families already in private schools. As President Trump pushes for a national voucher initiative, Mamdani insists that New York must instead invest in a fully funded public school system to ensure true educational equity…