Education Department officials released the admissions statistics shortly after Chalkbeat published a story about the delays.

The delays have raised eyebrows among school integration advocates, government accountability groups, and even former department officials.

Many Teaching Fellows are owed up to $4,500 for participating in an intensive summer training program. City officials blamed bureaucratic snafus for the delayed payments.

The second-in-command weighed in on how long it will take reading curriculum mandates to pay off, hiring challenges connected to the class size mandate, and Zohran Mamdani’s education proposals.

Adams said the Trump administration’s move to freeze billions in federal education spending would not slow his effort to expand after-school programs.

The push to standardize reading interventions represents one of the first literacy initiatives under Mayor Eric Adams that will directly affect high schools.

Under state law, schools must implement cellphone bans this fall. Gov. Kathy Hochul said it will improve student learning but noted there will be a ‘detoxing period.’

Students will be expected to demonstrate that they are global citizens and critical thinkers to graduate. How they will be assessed remains an open question.

City officials are under pressure to show that Eric Adams’ curriculum overhaul is working. New data paints an encouraging picture but should be interpreted with caution, experts say.

Mamdani’s plan would represent a fundamental shift in school governance at a time when the system faces many pressing issues, from declining enrollment to chronic absenteeism.