Building Democracy in Our Schools Public schools are where children learn and where communities build connection and possibility, so decisions about budgets and classroom conditions should be made with the people whose lives those decisions shape. A just school governance system would give students and families the opportunity to shape the public schools they rely on every day. Black and Brown families and working-class communities would not be pushed to the edges of decision-making. All students, including students with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ students, and newly immigrated students, would be part of the vision from the start. Sixth grader Laila explains why she opposes mayoral control and why students should have a greater voice in how New York City public schools are governed. For more than two decades, New York City’s mayoral control system has concentrated too much power in the mayor’s office while limiting the role of families and school communities. During the Bloomberg administration that structure was used to shut families and students out of decision-making and to diminish the voice of educators. We can design a school governance system that includes all these voices and still be accountable to ensure we are educating all children, regardless of who occupies the office. A governance system built around democratic participation. In 2026, AQE and our partners organized against the four-year extension of mayoral control proposed in the Executive Budget. Our collective advocacy contributed to the state adopting a shorter two-year extension instead. The shorter timeline will not create democratic school governance on its own, but it does provide an opening to organize for public schools shaped by community power. Chicago understood the need to dismantle mayoral control. It hasn't been easy and has probably been messy at times, and we should be reminded so is democracy but they are committed to the process. The families and communities we organize with are asking New York City to make the same commitment to a democratic process. The work ahead remains part of the larger fight for democracy, especially as federal threats make it more urgent to build public institutions that answer to the people they serve. In only eight months, the current mayoral administration has moved policies that previous leaders called impossible and accomplished more than many administrations do across two full terms, giving New Yorkers every reason to believe that over the next 16 months we can build a school governance system that is accountable for every child’s educational outcomes and gives families and students power over the decisions that shape their schools. AQE and our partners will keep organizing alongside families and students to build lasting community power over how public schools are governed. In solidarity, Marina Marcou-O'Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education Early bird registration is open for the Diapers to Diplomas: Reimagining the Continuum of Learning, Care and Opportunity conference on October 15 and 16 in New York City. Register today to secure your spot.

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