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Improving Schools and Improving Outcomes for All Students

New York City’s public schools are failing too many kids. Despite a record-breaking $40 billion budget and spending over $32,000 per student, classrooms are underfunded, teachers are paying for supplies out of pocket, and student achievement is stagnant. Curtis Sliwa will cut bureaucracy, improve outcomes, and make student success, not politics, the mission of our schools.

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1. Reforming the DOE and Restoring Accountability

• Keep mayoral control of NYC public schools, but overhaul how the system operates
• Create a transparent governance model with clear goals and measurable outcomes
• Audit and streamline the bloated DOE bureaucracy, starting with central offices and superintendents
• Appoint an independent inspector general to eliminate waste, fraud, and political favoritism
• End wasteful spending and put funding where it belongs, into classrooms not bureaucracy

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2. Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools

• Fully restore school safety agents under the NYPD with expanded training in de-escalation and mental health awareness
• Maintain safe learning environments by enforcing consistent discipline policies that protect both students and teachers
• Put staff safety and student well-being at the center of school discipline, not political ideology​​

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3. Raising Academic Standards and Improving Learning​

• Keep education focused on proven methods such as phonics-based reading, structured math instruction, and strong history and civics
• Increase curriculum transparency so families know what is being taught
• Eliminate failed curriculum mandates that do not improve student outcomes​

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4. Expanding Opportunity for Students​

• Expand Gifted and Talented programs across all boroughs
• Preserve the SHSAT for specialized high schools, ensuring hardworking students have access to opportunities
• Restore academic screening for middle and high schools while expanding access fairly across communities
• Open more theme-based schools including career and technical education, STEM, arts, and civic leadership programs
• Support small, safe, high-performing public schools that deliver results

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5. Improving Special Education and Student Services

• Hire more therapists and streamline evaluations to end delays in special education
• Expand services for students with dyslexia, autism, and learning differences
• Guarantee equal access to speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and counseling for all students
• Provide families of students with IEPs greater flexibility in choosing programs that meet their needs

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6. Supporting Innovation and School Choice

• End the charter school cap and expand high-performing charters, especially in underserved areas

• Support co-location of charters in underutilized public school buildings

• Promote transparency and accountability for all schools receiving public funding—traditional or charter

• Incentivize collaboration and sharing of best practices between district and charter schools

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7. Expanding Vocational and Career Education

• Build new vocational high schools for building trades, health careers, tech, hospitality, and public safety
• Offer certifications in EMT, EMS, Home Health Aide, and lifeguard training
• Provide training in coding, mechanics, carpentry, landscaping, and agriculture
• Add modern career pathways such as AV production, video editing, and content creation
• Integrate financial literacy and job-readiness into middle and high school curricula

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8. Reviving Arts, Sports and Environmental Programs

• Restore arts programs including band, orchestra, theater, poetry, painting, sculpting, and photography
• Expand athletic programs including swimming and lifeguard certification
• Reintroduce environmental and oceanography programs, green space revitalization, and school gardens
• Use arts and sports to re-engage students and reduce dropout rates

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9. Addressing Truancy and Keeping Students Engaged

• Recognize that many students skip school due to unstable home lives, depression, or lack of interest
• Provide alternative learning options that connect directly to career skills and real-world opportunities
• Support students at risk of dropping out with counseling, mentorship, and access to hands-on programs
• Reduce financial barriers that make it harder for working families to keep kids in school

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10. Smarter Spending, Stronger Classrooms

• Audit DOE spending and cut administrative bloat
• Redirect funds into classrooms for supplies, technology, and direct student support
• Increase teacher pay to attract and retain top talent
• Push for a fairer state funding formula that reflects NYC’s cost of living and unique needs

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Curtis Sliwa will put students and teachers first by cutting waste, raising standards, and making every education dollar work inside the classroom. New York City kids deserve safe schools, great teachers, and a real pathway to success no matter their zip code.