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“Anybody want posters?” an event marshal holding a stack of hand-painted signs called out as thousands of charter school parents and children in yellow and purple T-shirts streamed into Cadman Plaza Park on Thursday morning.
Families grabbed placards declaring “Every Zip Code Deserves Excellence,” “Equity is Access,” and “Respect Our Choice,” while charter school leaders rallied alongside them.
By noon, the crowd — representing more than 200 charter schools — spilled out of the park and onto the Brooklyn Bridge to advocate for the education sector.
As it did during the 2013 New York City mayoral election, the charter sector has shifted into offense in recent weeks as Democratic Socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani leads the polls. Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy, the city’s largest charter school network and one of the rally’s organizers, has not publicly named Mamdani but has warned that charters face "existential" threats.
Mamdani is the only mayoral candidate who has criticized charter schools, which he says shouldn’t be given space in public school buildings. He has also said he would audit charter finances.
“I’m worried about facilities. I am worried about funding — we have inequitable funding. Charter schools get thousands of dollars less. And I’m worried about our freedom,” Moskowitz told reporters at a press conference during the rally.
Charter school supporters say they’re a lifeline for Black and brown families who don’t have equitable access to quality education. Critics argue that the privately managed but publicly funded schools siphon away resources from public schools.
Charter schools educate roughly 150,000 New York City students at nearly 300 schools. More than 40% of the city’s charter schools occupy Department of Education buildings, which they often share with traditional public schools. A 2014 law requires the city to provide new or expanding charter networks space in existing public school buildings or subsidize their rent.
The city’s mayor does not have many direct powers over the charter sector, and a state cap currently prevents additional charters from opening in New York City. Legislators in Albany have shown little interest in lifting that cap, and some of the city’s largest charter networks have struggled to maintain enrollment in the wake of the pandemic. But the mayor can be a charter booster or detractor and can set the tone at the Education Department, which often coordinates services at charter schools.
Parent Lira Medinas, whose son began his kindergarten year at Success Academy, has concerns about Mamdani. Like other charter parents, Medinas took off time from work to attend the rally.
“ He’s not supportive of the charter schools,” Medinas said.
She said she can’t afford to send her child to a private school and believes the public school options available to her family are not as strong as charters.
“We are fighting for the right of having a choice,” she said.
Other parents at the rally voiced their support for charters.
“I feel confident that my son is getting a good education, and so that’s why we are pushing for charter schools, and we want the resources,” said Colleen Scotton, who decided to send her son to a Success Academy school after attending public schools herself.
“We want the doors to stay open so more kids can have access to the same education,” she said.
The event featured food, speeches, and musical performances, including a surprise appearance from Grammy Award-winning rapper Common. Success Academy canceled classes and required students to attend the rally like it did for the 2013 rally, ensuring a large crowd.
