Curtis Sliwa's Plan for Reimagining NYC Education - Curtis Sliwa's Education Plan - September 2021
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Curtis Sliwa’s Plan
for Reimagining
NYC Education
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 1Curtis Sliwa’s 12-Point Plan for Reimagining
K-12 Education & Beyond
An Education Plan to Recover from the Pandemic
and Refocus Education on Our Children & Teachers
Executive Summary
Education is the great equalizer, and all children in New York City should have access to
a high-quality education that prepares them for employment, society, and a lifetime of
productive, engaged citizenry. But for decades, our education system has failed to provide our
children with an equal opportunity to succeed. Despite the $38 billion allocated to the
Department of Education annually, our City is not spending its budget effectively.1 School
closures, underfunded programs, overcrowded classrooms, caps on accelerated programs, and a
lack of school choice have all contributed to poor educational outcomes for New York City
children.
Upon graduation from New York City public schools, every child should have a
developed, real-world skill that enables them to obtain a job, start a business, or pursue higher
education. To finally give all of our children an equal opportunity to succeed, I am calling for a
comprehensive overhaul of our education system from K-12 and beyond.
The New York City public school system is the largest public school system in the
country, and the Mayor of NYC and his chancellor are at the helm. With this authority, the
Mayor of NYC can improve not only K-12 education, but higher education as well given the
Mayor’s control over the CUNY higher education system. In addition to a comprehensive
overhaul of K-12, I am also calling for the creation of Three-Year College Degree Pathways to
help make college more financially accessible for New York City residents.
In conjunction with CUNY and New York State legislators, I will work to advance
legislation requiring all New York City public colleges and universities to offer three-year
college degree programs based on attaining real-world skills and competencies, rather than
arbitrary credit requirements. In effect, this will save NYC residents a full year of college tuition
and allow them to begin earning a salary one year earlier. My Three-Year College Degree
1
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/funding/funding-our-schools
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 2Pathways program will significantly improve the financial position of college graduates, saving
them an average of $53,188.2
Improving K-12 Education in New York City
The main goal of my “Plan for Reforming K-12 Education” is to deconstruct the NYC
Department of Education and return the focus and power to our students and teachers. To
achieve this goal, I will implement my 12-Point Plan for reform:
(1) Reopen our schools and keep them open throughout the end of July,
(2) Refocus education on individualized teaching and smaller class sizes,
(3) Improve working conditions and salaries for teachers,
(4) Expand after-school programs and incentivize community involvement through new
tax credit programs,
(5) Empower parents by expanding school choice, increasing the number of charter
schools, and promoting the development of more independent private schools and
religious schools,
(6) Increase the number of accelerated and gifted programs throughout New York City,
(7) Expand vocational and professional training in all high schools and after-school
programs, including a new focus on financial literacy,
(8) Provide dedicated annual funding to support after-school and Saturday programs for
NYC’s 200,000 students with disabilities,
(9) Bring NYC into the twenty-first century by providing every child with access to
modern technology and by expanding STEM programs,
(10) Introduce an “Advancing Community Education” (ACE) program to assist working
families with purchasing school supplies for their children,
(11) Implement an annual “Back-To-School” Sales Tax Holiday to make school supplies
more affordable for children and teachers, and
2
The financial position of + $53,188 is calculated by adding the annual cost of tuition at a NYC
public school (CUNY: $6,930/year, see www.cuny.edu/financial-aid/tuition-and-college-
costs/tuition-fees/) and the average starting salary of a student graduate in NYC, which a student
would begin earning one year earlier in my program ($46,258 average starting salary, see
www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Student-Graduate-Salary-in-New-York-
City,NY#:~:text=As%20of%20May%204%2C%202021,%2Fweek%20or%20%243%2C855%2
Fmonth.).
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 3(12) Re-evaluate and eliminate wasteful Department of Education contracts, positions,
and budget items.
Reopen Our Schools Immediately—and Keep Them Open Throughout the End of July
When Mayor de Blasio abruptly closed NYC’s public schools, schoolchildren and
working families were forced to struggle with the adverse effects. Schoolchildren were left with
inadequate learning materials and resources for remote learning. Remote learning has directly
contributed to a reduction in student learning and achievement, as well as the proliferation of
mental health issues among our children.3 For example, “math achievement of students in 2020
was about 5 to 10 percentile points lower compared to same-grade students the prior year.”4
To ensure that our children receive the best education and learning resources, our schools
must re-open fully and remain open throughout the year. At the same time, we must follow the
guidance from the CDC and adapt to the new challenges presented by COVID-19 variants to
keep our children safe.
To assist students in making up lost learning over the past two years, I propose
implementing a new NYC public school calendar with in-person schooling from September until
the end of July. With the addition of schooling throughout July, our children will have the
opportunity to make up lost learning, further develop their social skills in a post-COVID world,
and have greater access to mental health resources.
Refocus Education on Individualized Student Learning by Reducing Class Sizes and
Improving Working Conditions for Teachers
When students learn in smaller classroom environments, they receive more individual
attention and instruction from teachers, which helps them learn and grow more effectively.
Despite this accepted fact, Mayor Bill de Blasio has failed to deliver smaller class sizes. The
average class size in New York City ranges from 22 students in kindergarten to 28 in high
schools, according to data from the Department of Education. NYC public school classes are 15-
30% larger on average compared to classes in other parts of New York State.5 We must reduce
class sizes.
In New York City’s public school system, it is not only students and parents that are
frustrated, but teachers as well. The public school system has one of the highest rates of teacher
3
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2020/12/03/how-is-covid-19-
affecting-student-learning/; https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-
coronavirus/
4
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2020/12/03/how-is-covid-19-
affecting-student-learning/
5
https://www.chalkbeat.org/authors/amy-zimmer
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 4attrition.6 The NYC school system has reported that “41% of teachers hired in the 2012-13
school year left within five years.”7 Every year, NYC loses large portions of its experienced
teaching force to relocation and retirement because our teachers are not adequately compensated,
schools are unsafe, and teachers are faced with bureaucratic strictures on their lesson planning
and curricula. Additionally, teachers are forced to pay for their own supplies and teach with
outdated technology, further burdening teachers financially and pedagogically.
When experienced teachers leave our public school system, we lose their experience,
their expertise, and overall classroom stability.8 To compensate for teacher retirements, the City
must then allocate significant costs to recruiting and training new hires. These added
expenditures have been estimated to cost school districts around $20,000 per teacher.9 Along
with increased financial expenditures for schools, our students also suffer from teacher attrition
because they learn from more inexperienced teachers.10 Roughly one-third of NYC teachers have
less than 5 years of teaching experience.11 A New York State Education Department report
further demonstrates the prevalence of inexperienced teachers in NYC’s school system, in the
following map:
6
http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/1024teachersal.pdf
7
https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/to-combat-teacher-exodus-from-new-york-city-schools-
comptroller-stringer-proposes-largest-teacher-residency-program-in-america/
8
http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/1024teachersal.pdf
9
Carroll, T. G. (2007). Policy brief: The high cost of teacher turnover. Washington, DC:
National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (as cited in Sutcher, L., Darling-
Hammond, L., and Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply,
Demand, and Shortages in the U.S. (research brief). Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.)
10
http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/1024teachersal.pdf
11
FY 19 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report, Accessed from:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/operations/performance/mmr.page.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 5Source: New York State Education Department, Report Card Database, Map shows three years
average, 2015-2017
High teacher attrition rates cause widespread teacher shortages throughout NYC,
especially in the areas of Science, English, Math, World Languages, Language Arts, Health &
Physical Fitness.12 The teacher attrition rates in special education have also caused extensive
harm for special education students and their parents. In sum, NYC public education policies
have failed to keep our most experienced teachers where they belong: in the classroom. When we
fail to keep the most experienced teachers in the system, our children and school districts suffer.
To improve the conditions for our teachers and the quality of education for our students,
I am calling for the following reforms:
(1) Reduce class size by hiring more teachers. Students learn best when they receive
more individualized attention and instruction, and this comes with smaller class sizes.
To deliver smaller classes, we must hire more teachers.
(2) Increase bonuses and salaries in every teacher’s fifth, tenth, and fifteenth years
(beyond current levels), if they remain teaching at the same school. With
historically high teacher attrition rates in NYC, we must show our teachers that we
value them and want them to stay in our NYC classrooms. By rewarding experienced
12
U.S. Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas, New York City, 2018-19. Accessed
from: https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 6teachers that stay in their school districts long-term, we can help deliver more
stability to the classroom and schools.
(3) Improve and enforce school safety and discipline. When schools are unsafe,
teachers are unable to effectively teach, and students are unable to effectively learn.
We must ensure that all students are held to the same code of conduct and that codes
of conduct are properly enforced in every NYC school by teachers and
administrators.
(4) Provide teachers with the resources and updated technology that they need. In
virtually any other industry, it is blasphemous to ask employees to shoulder the cost
of basic supplies. Yet, teachers paying for resources out-of-pocket has become
commonplace. We must support our teachers with the resources that they need to
educate our children. My plan provides teachers and classrooms with updated
technology, like laptops, smartboards, and promethean.
(5) Empower teachers to decide their own lesson plans and curricula. Experienced
teachers know how to teach and what to teach. When bureaucrats without any
teaching experience begin dictating curricula and lesson plans, our education system
suffers. As we have seen in the past, constant changes in curricula by politicians leads
to great confusion and angst among both parents and teachers. We must restore power
to the teachers to create their own lesson plans and employ their own proven teaching
techniques. We must let our teachers teach.
(6) Increase bonuses for experienced teachers willing to teach in NYC’s lowest
performing schools. To improve education outcomes in our struggling NYC schools,
I will introduce a new bonus for experienced teachers that are willing transfer to our
City’s lowest performing schools.
In addition to improving working conditions for teachers, I will restore power to school
administrators to operate their own schools. Our school administrators must have the power to
establish their own best practices and implement their own improvements. Currently, school
administrators are constrained by bureaucratic restrictions and red tape. For example, school
administrators are forced to purchase supplies from select Department of Education-approved
vendors, rather than purchasing from the lowest-priced vendors on the market. This policy leads
to wasteful spending and rampant patronage by vendors and politicians. I will eliminate this
policy and allow school administrators to purchase supplies in the open market, where they can
purchase lower cost and higher quality supplies.
Similarly, schools should have the ability to carry over annual budget savings to the
following year. In our current system, schools are incentivized to spend wastefully rather than
exercise sound fiscal judgment. Today, schools engage in wasteful end-of-year spending to dry
up their budget because they know that the funds do not rollover. Instead, schools that exercise
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 7sound fiscal policy should be rewarded with the ability to utilize saved funds for the following
schoolyear.
Additionally, the process for construction improvements and repairs must be streamlined
and expedited. Under current NYC public school policy, school repairs are first reviewed
through lengthy review processes before repairs can be made. This reduces the quality of our
school buildings and delays crucial repairs, which in turn impairs the delivery of education from
school staff to children. We must expedite this process, remove bureaucratic delays, and deliver
high quality buildings and resources to our schools.
Expand the Quality and Number of After-School Programs for Middle School and High
School Children
Student learning should not end when the bell rings and classroom time ends. After-
school programs and internship programs are vital to expanding student learning, experience, and
mentorship. Students should be able to acquire hands-on experience in their areas of interest,
while also exploring new potential career interests and paths. Similarly, after-school programs
are important for parents who work late hours and lack the resources to hire babysitters or pay
for private after-school programs. Given the many benefits of these after-school programs, I will
expand after-school programs for all K-8 students.
For students in high school, I will expand paid and unpaid internship programs, and I will
formally introduce internship programs into the NYC public school curriculum. These internship
programs will expose high school students to real-world workplace careers, responsibilities, and
mentorship. These programs will provide students with paid opportunities and also allow
students to earn college credit through the CUNY system. By earning wages and college credit
while still in high school, students will graduate with workplace experience, advanced college
standing, and more money in their pockets.
These internship programs will count toward high school class credit and include a
classroom component in which students can discuss their daily experiences with teachers and
other students. Through this dual hands-on and classroom approach, students will be able to learn
about new careers, discuss problem-solving in the workplace, and better engage with their peers
and supervisors. Under my administration, students will be better prepared to contribute to
society.
To fund and incentivize these new programs, I will create a special municipal tax credit
for businesses, institutions, and individuals that dedicate their time to teaching, organizing, and
hosting after-school programs and internships for New York City students. For example, CUNY
professors and students can receive refundable tax credits for dedicating their time and efforts to
creating and teaching after-school programs in NYC public schools. These programs will not
only enhance student education, but it will also create stronger community bonds and mentorship
among NYC communities. Businesses that create new after-school internship programs for New
York City high school students will also be eligible for municipal tax credits.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 8Expand School Choice for All New York City Children and Parents
I fully support school choice for all New York City students and parents—and that means
I support the expansion of public schools, charter schools, parochial schools, and vocational
schools. In New York City, there are 1,866 schools in the Department of Education system,
educating 1,126,501 students annually. Of those 1,866 schools, two-hundred and sixty are
charter schools. It has been estimated that around 118,600 students attend charter schools in New
York City.13 Charter schools expand school choice for parents and children, and also help reduce
class sizes. School choice and smaller class sizes contribute to more academic freedom and
success for our children. Studies have demonstrated that New York City charter schools feature
“more structured administration and often a longer school day and year,” which leads to better
academic outcomes for students.14 For example, in 2019, a full Bronx charter-school class—
located in the poorest district in the country—aced the Algebra I Regents exam.15
Given their many benefits, charter schools have now garnered widespread bipartisan
support. A recent poll released in April 2021 showed that 70% of Democrats in New York City
support the expansion of charter schools.16 Annually, the demand for charter schools exceeds the
available number of student spots.17 Many anti-poverty and non-profit groups, including Mission
Society and Urban Dove, have also supported the expansion of charter schools to enhance
educational opportunities for our children.18
Despite widespread support for charter schools among residents, New York State
politicians have remained adamantly opposed to charter school expansion due to pressures from
the United Federation of Teachers. Under this pressure, the New York State Legislature has
implemented a cap on the number of charter schools state-wide, which has limited the expansion
of charter schools. Currently, the state-wide charter cap is 460, with 290 charter schools set aside
for New York City.19 Today, NYC has already hit its 290-charter-school-limit, while 92 charter
school slots in other parts of the state remain unused.20 Despite growing demand for charter
schools in NYC, state law prevents the use of these unused charter school slots in NYC, and
13
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-than-a-quarter-of-new-york-city-students-attend-private-
or-charter-schools-11566738000
14
https://nypost.com/2021/04/30/democrats-in-nyc-want-more-charter-schools-poll-finds/
15
https://nypost.com/2019/07/01/entire-bronx-success-academy-class-aces-statewide-math-
exam/
16
https://nypost.com/2021/04/30/democrats-in-nyc-want-more-charter-schools-poll-finds/ (“The
survey of 1,558 city Democrats was conducted by the Benenson Group — the polling firm that
worked on former President Barack Obama’s campaigns — on behalf of the pro-charter
advocacy group StudentsFirstNY.”)
17
https://nypost.com/2021/02/02/parent-demand-for-nyc-charter-school-seats-intensified-amid-
covid/
18
https://nypost.com/2021/04/25/nyc-student-pleads-with-state-pols-to-expand-charter-schools/
19
https://nypost.com/2021/04/02/amid-ny-budget-talks-hope-of-charter-school-expansion-
appears-doa/
20
Id.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 9recent budget negotiations have resulted in no new funding or expansion of charter schools.21
This directly limits school choice for NYC parents and children.
We must put politics aside and pursue policies that expand opportunities for children and
parents, and that means allowing NYC to utilize the State’s unused charter school slots to meet
NYC’s growing demand. As Mayor, I will fight to open more charter schools in NYC because
our children deserve better educational opportunities.
Expand “Gifted & Talented” Programs & Introduce New Magnet Programs
I am unequivocally committed to expanding “Gifted and Talented” programs and
maintaining their high standards and integrity. To ensure that all children reach their maximum
potential, we must not only retain these programs but expand them as well. To expand
opportunities for all children, we must increase the number of “Gifted and Talented” programs
across the City—specifically in low-income neighbourhoods.
In the 2021 application cycle, there were roughly 2,500 “Gifted and Talented” spots for
65,000 rising kindergarteners.22 In total, 15,000 kindergarten families applied for these spots.23 It
has been reported that NYC’s five city-wide “Gifted and Talented” programs require a 99th
percentile score on the entrance exam for admission. 24 Non-city-wide programs typically require
a score in the 90th percentile.25 The admissions process often results in qualified applicants being
denied admission due to the cap on program seating. We must lift the 2,500-student cap on
“Gifted and Talented” programs and allow more of our children to pursue these accelerated
offerings.
This past year, NYC eliminated the entrance exam for its “Gifted and Talented” programs
due to COVID-19 issues. Rather than admission-by-exam, admission this year required a
recommendation from a teacher followed by a selection by lottery. Even before COVID-19,
Mayor de Blasio planned to scrap the entrance exam for “Gifted and Talented” programs.26 As
we progress into the upcoming schoolyear, we must reinstitute the entrance exam to ensure that
all students can take the exam and have the opportunity to enter the “Gifted and Talented”
programs in NYC. To ensure that all children can adequately prepare for the entrance exam, I am
calling for the creation of a high-quality, after-school test preparation program for all
kindergarten families with financial need. With this additional program, all students—regardless
of financial background—can prepare for and maximize their scores on the entrance exam.
21
Id.
22
https://nypost.com/2021/01/13/nyc-to-reboot-gifted-and-talented-program-for-schools-this-
fall/
23
Id.
24
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/nyregion/gifted-talented-schools-nyc.html
25
Id.
26
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/world/nyc-schools-will-replace-the-gifted-and-talented-
admissions-exam-with-a-lottery-this-year.html
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 10For students that do not qualify for “Gifted and Talent,” I will create advanced, part-time
magnet programs for high-performing students. Established in the students’ own school districts,
these accelerated magnet programs will ensure that our high-performing students still receive
advanced individual attention and educational stimulation. To qualify for these accelerated
magnet programs, students will be required to test in a specified percentile, or as an alternative
route for admission, students can be referred by their teachers.
Expand Vocational and Professional Training in High School Curricula & After-School
Programs, With a New Focus on Financial Literacy
New York City currently offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in over
130 schools throughout the City.27 These programs allow students to directly pursue more than
seventy-nine career pathways and cover the following major industries: Agriculture; Food &
Natural Resources; Architecture & Construction; Arts; A/V Technology & Communications;
Business Management & Administration; Education & Training; Finance; Government & Public
Administration; Health Science; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services; Information
Technology; Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security; Manufacturing; Marketing; Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.28
Students in CTE programs develop real-world job skills, explore new career paths, learn
about workplace demands and responsibilities, develop understandings of personal financial
management, develop new mentorship relationships, and improve social awareness and
professionalism. Upon successful program completion, students receive industry-recognized
certifications, which enable students to acquire jobs and internships while in school and upon
graduation. Students in Career and Technical programs can also qualify for college credit and
enhance their standing, thereby saving time and money on a college degree.29
After graduating from CTE programs, students have limitless opportunities. Graduates
can directly enter the workforce, attend college, attend advanced technical training programs, or
pursue some combination of these routes.30 Currently, there are 300 CTE programs offered in
NYC with 64,000 enrolled students and an 85.5% graduation rate.31 CTE has proved highly
successful. Similar to CTE, NYC’s Co-op Tech program also provides half-day career and
technical training for high school graduates and students enrolled in DOE academic programs.32
Through these vocational training programs, students acquire unparalleled real-world experience,
which enables them to pursue real-world jobs, make informed decisions on college, and make
smarter career decisions.33
27
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/career-and-technical-education
28
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/career-and-technical-education
29
Id.
30
Id.
31
https://cte.nyc/web/about-cte/benefits-cte-programs-study
32
Id.
33
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/career-and-technical-education
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 11NYC’s vocational training programs have proved highly successful, and we must allocate
more resources to these programs. Every student should be exposed to vocational training in
middle school, high school, and college. I am calling for the introduction of at least one
vocational training course in all high school curricula. To further expose our children to more
vocational training opportunities, I will also expand after-school vocational training programs.
Along with fostering the development of vocational skills, I will create a Business
Enterprise Division (BED) within the Department of Education and introduce new financial
literacy programs. The BED will work with students who are aspiring to pursue entrepreneurial
ventures and careers. The BED will work closely with the NYC Department of Small Business
Services (SBS) to provide students with small business resources and guide them through the
small business licensing process. This BED-SBS partnership will provide students with the
unparalleled opportunity to unlock entrepreneurial potential and enter the business world.
I will also introduce new financial literacy programs into the high school curriculum.
Financial literacy courses teach students about basic money concepts, like budgeting, saving,
investing, and paying off debt. We must teach our children tangible financial planning skills to
ensure they are ready for the real world upon graduation. To thrive in society today, every person
must understand basic concepts of money, saving, and budgeting. We must start this financial
education in high school to adequately prepare our students.
Provide Dedicated Annual Funding to Support After-School and Saturday Programs for
NYC’s 200,000 Students with Disabilities
The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on students with disabilities, as
the NYC DOE struggled to deliver the special services needed by these students. According to a
February 2021 report, roughly one-fourth of students with disabilities were “not receiving
mandated special services, which might include smaller class sizes or other specialized support,
and other services like physical therapy were often difficult to deliver remotely.”34 This failure
on the part of the DOE resulted in months of lost learning and stunted social development for
thousands of students with disabilities.
To remedy these issues, New York City officials announced in July 2021 that every
student with a disability will be eligible for additional special education programs, which will be
held after-school and on Saturdays.35 These programs will begin in October or early November,
according to City officials.36
As NYC Mayor, I will continue to support and provide dedicated annual funding for
these programs until learning gaps officially close. Our students with disabilities deserve equal
education opportunities, and I will ensure they receive those opportunities.
34
https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/7/8/22568924/literacy-dyslexia-de-blasio-nyc-schools-covid-
learning-loss
35
https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/7/28/22596682/saturday-afterschool-special-education-nyc
36
Id.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 12Bring NYC into the 21st Century by Providing All Children with Necessary Technology and
Expanding STEM programs
In today’s society, reliable access to the internet is a necessity for student learning.
Unfortunately, many NYC children lack internet access and suffer the adverse effects of
disconnectedness after school hours. Students must have access to the internet to complete
school assignments and expand educational exploration. As technology becomes more updated
and widespread, teachers have become increasingly reliant on virtual classroom platforms and
online assignment programs. To ensure that students stay up to date on their assignments, we
must provide all of our children with reliable internet access. Moreover, during the COVID-19
pandemic, we witnessed first-hand the importance of remote learning and the need for reliable
internet access. While I fully support a 100% return to in-person learning, I recognize that
remote learning has become more commonplace and may serve as an alternative to snow days
and sick days. Additionally, remote learning could be used as a supplemental educational
approach for after-school and summer programs. Accordingly, all students should have access to
remote educational programs, and to deliver on that goal, we must provide all of children with
reliable internet access.
Updating technology is also a pre-requisite for updating our school curricula. When
schools lack updated infrastructure and teaching materials, they lack the ability to teach students
about emerging areas of technology and sciences. STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics) subjects lead to careers in the fastest growing industries. We must ensure that
our schools contain the updated teaching materials and technology needed to properly educate
our children in STEM. To this end, we must create advanced STEM programs in our schools.
These programs will be available for students with demonstrated interests and potential in STEM
fields; and these programs will be accessible to students from all school districts and contain the
latest technological STEM equipment and professors.
Implement an Annual “Back-To-School” Sales Tax Holiday to Make School Supplies More
Financially Accessible for Children and Teachers
As each new schoolyear approaches, we must ensure that our children are well-prepared
for the classroom. Over the past year, the COVID pandemic has devastated families and children
financially and pedagogically. This past year, our children were forced out of the classroom and
into remote Zoom sessions, while losing out on months of in-person learning programs,
extracurricular activities, and sports. With students now scheduled to return to in-person learning
this fall, we must ensure they are optimally prepared to maximize their educational,
extracurricular, and athletic opportunities. That means ensuring every child has access to
adequate school supplies for the upcoming schoolyear.
To make school supplies more financially accessible for all, I am proposing an annual
“Back-to-School” Sales Tax Holiday that will run for one full month from late August until late
September. During the holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from state and city sales
tax including:
(1) school supplies under $50;
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 13(2) clothing, shoes, backpacks, wallets, and handbags under $90, and
(3) personal computers and/or personal computer-related accessories up to $1,250.
To implement this program at the state level, I will work with the New York State
Governor and State Legislatures.
Introduce an “Advancing Community Education” (ACE) Program to Assist Working Families
with Purchasing School Supplies for Their Children
It is time that New York City begins funding its people—not corrupt, wasteful
institutions. To this end, my new ACE Program will support the integrity and stability of the
family unit, while improving educational prospects for our children. My ACE Program will
provide eligible working families with an annual education stipend of $2,000, which may be
utilized for childcare, tutors, and other education services for their children.
This stipend will help working families meet the demands of childcare and ensure that
their children receive the best possible education services. The program will be supported by
funding re-allocations from ThriveNYC and the New York City Department of Education. Both
of these existing programs maintain funding in excess of $37 billion annually. By re-allocating
just 0.54% of this existing budget to ACE, we can deliver relief to 100,000 working NYC
families without raising a single dollar in new tax revenue.
It is time for New York City to keep money in the hands of the people, rather than
squandering it on high-salaried Department of Education (DOE) bureaucrats37 and wasteful $1
billion mayoral pet-projects (ThriveNYC).38 The DOE employs over 1,189 bureaucrats that earn
$125,000 to $262,000 annually.39 At the same time, NYC has wasted $1 billion on ThriveNYC,
which has produced no results for NYC families or mental health well-being. We must refocus
education on student learning and refocus social health and development on promoting stable
family units. To achieve these goals, we must return financial power to the people—and away
from wasteful bureaucrats. To be eligible for the ACE stipend of $2,000 annually, families must
be comprised of:
(1) Households with one or more children in New York City schools (including
public, vocational, private, religious, parochial, and charter schools),
37
The NYC DOE has a long history of overpaying its administrative bureaucrats and investing in
failed student programs. Despite this large number of high-earning bureaucrats, the DOE still
expends millions of dollars annually on high-dollar “outside consultants.” For example, the DOE
expended $1.2 million on a short, two-month contract with Accenture LLP to advise on the
reopening options for schools.
https://nypost.com/2020/05/16/carranzas-claim-he-cant-cut-34b-budget-a-lie-advocates/
38
https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/curtis-sliwa-promises-thrive-investigation-if-elected/
39
https://nypost.com/2020/05/16/carranzas-claim-he-cant-cut-34b-budget-a-lie-advocates/
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 14(2) with verified proof that the household parent(s) is/are actively holding
employment and/or actively seeking employment, and
(3) with a total household income reflecting extreme poverty.40
Re-Evaluate and Eliminate Wasteful DOE Contracts, Spending, & Programs
With $38 billion in annual funding, the Department of Education is New York City’s
largest municipal agency. Despite this enormous budget, our children are still not receiving the
best education possible because of fiscal mismanagement and a lack of accountability and
transparency. As New York City Mayor, I will launch a comprehensive review of all DOE
contracts to ensure that NYC tax dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively. To this end, I
will issue a DOE-wide requirement that all DOE-contracted programs justify their budgets to
ensure that all programs are efficiently meeting the needs of our children.
The NYC DOE has a long history of overpaying its administrative bureaucrats and
investing in failed student programs. The DOE employs over 1,189 bureaucrats that earn
$125,000 to $262,000 annually.41 Despite this large number of high-earning bureaucrats, the
DOE still expends millions of dollars annually on high-dollar “outside consultants.” For
example, the DOE expended $1.2 million on a short, two-month contract with Accenture LLP to
advise on the reopening options for schools.42 I will eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic positions
and superfluous DOE consultant contracts. With these savings, we will be able to invest in more
efficient and effective programming for our children.
Improving Higher Education in New York City and New York State
Reform Higher Education by Standardizing a Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Around
Attaining Competencies
New York City has developed a strong higher education system in CUNY. As the
nation’s largest municipal college system, CUNY includes eleven colleges, six community
colleges, one graduate school, one law school, and one medical school.43 Two-thirds of CUNY
students attend college tuition-free, and three-fourths of students graduate debt-free.44 As NYC
Mayor, I will continue to support CUNY’s mission of providing high-quality educational
services at affordable rates. At the same time, I will introduce my new Three-Year College
40
Extreme poverty will be calculated based on federal poverty line data, available at
https://aspe.hhs.gov/2021-poverty-guidelines#threshholds. NYC already employs federal poverty
line data to allocate funding for other education and social programs:. For example, “Fair Fares
provides half-fare transit benefits to New York City residents at or below 100% of the federal
poverty level who are not eligible for other transit subsidies or benefits.”
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/omb/downloads/pdf/mm4-21.pdf (page 10).
41
https://nypost.com/2020/05/16/carranzas-claim-he-cant-cut-34b-budget-a-lie-advocates/
42
https://nypost.com/2020/05/16/carranzas-claim-he-cant-cut-34b-budget-a-lie-advocates/
43
https://www.cuny.edu/
44
https://www.cuny.edu/
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 15Degree Pathways program to make college even more financially accessible for all New York
City residents.
For decades, politicians have promised to reform higher education and have continually
failed to deliver. Due to this inaction, New York City students—and Americans nationwide—are
faced with the highest college tuition rates and highest levels of student debt in history. Higher
education reform is long overdue, and I have a plan to deliver on it through my innovative Three-
Year College Degree Pathways program.
Under my Three-Year College Degree Pathways program, the bachelor’s degree will be
standardized around a curriculum that allows students to graduate in three years—with a focus
on attaining actual competencies rather than attaining arbitrary credit requirements. Without
raising a single dollar in taxes, this reform will immediately lower college tuition costs by 25%,
lower student loan debt and accrued interest levels, and allow students to earn salaries in the
workforce one year earlier. By shifting the college degree structure from four years to three
years, students will save a full year of college tuition. Simultaneously, three-year graduates will
be able to enter the workforce and begin earning a salary one year earlier. Combining the savings
and earning potential, my Three-Year College Degree Pathways program will save students an
average of $53,188.45
At the heart of my Three-Year College Degree Pathways program are the principles of
freedom, innovation, and equal opportunity. My plan will make college more accessible to all
and relieve students of insurmountable debt, allowing them to purchase homes, pursue advanced
degrees, and freely plan their futures. This reform urges colleges to re-evaluate their curricula to
ensure classroom pedagogy lines up with the ever-changing demands of the modern workplace
and society. It also requires colleges to remove redundant requirements that students already took
in high school and eliminate superfluous electives. While my plan seeks to standardize the
bachelor’s degree around a three-year model for all students, the option to take four years to
complete a bachelor’s degree will still be available for students with the financial means and
applicable personal circumstances.
To deliver on my Three-Year College Degree Pathways program, I will work closely
with CUNY and New York State to begin shifting New York State public colleges and
universities toward a three-year degree model. I have drafted the following bill that I will urge
New York State legislators to introduce:
45
The financial position of + $53,188 is calculated by adding the annual cost of tuition at a NYC
public school (CUNY: $6,930/year, see www.cuny.edu/financial-aid/tuition-and-college-
costs/tuition-fees/) and the average starting salary of a student graduate in NYC, which a student
would begin earning one year earlier in my program ($46,258 average starting salary, see
www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Student-Graduate-Salary-in-New-York-
City,NY#:~:text=As%20of%20May%204%2C%202021,%2Fweek%20or%20%243%2C855%2
Fmonth.).
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 16STATE OF NEW YORK
_______________________________________________________________________
2022-2023 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 1, 2022
____________________
THE DEGREE IN THREE ACT
The ‘Standardizing Higher Education Around a Three-Year College Degree’ Act
AN ACT to establish pathways for the completion of baccalaureate degrees in three calendar
years in all public higher education institutions in New York State
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1: The New York State Board of Regents shall require that all state baccalaureate-
granting colleges and universities, as a condition of reauthorization for certification of each
baccalaureate program offered by the institution, submit a plan for creating three-year pathways
to graduation for majors in which a baccalaureate degree is offered. Commencing with a student’s
first fall semester of education, the submitted plans shall provide a full semester-by-semester credit
breakdown of required classes, electives, and experiential learning opportunities-for-credit, that
lead to graduation with a baccalaureate degree.
SECTION 2: The plan required in Section 1 must include, but not be limited to, the following
methods for establishing a three-year pathway to graduation:
A. Advanced placement credit;
B. International baccalaureate program credit;
C. Policies that allow for credit-awarding and/or waiver of credit requirements for the
completion of (a) widely available courses at certified community colleges, (b) the
completion of online coursework offered by certified higher education institutions, (c)
coursework completed during summer sessions, and (d) foreign-language requirements
based on sufficient scoring on proficiency examinations, as specified by the institution.
Curtis Sliwa’s Education Plan – September 2021 17SECTION 3: The submission of plans under Section 1 must conform with the following deadlines:
A. No later than February 15, 2023, all state higher education institutions shall submit their
plans, pursuant to all of the aforementioned requirements, for twenty percent of all
baccalaureate degree programs then offered by the institution.
B. No later than June 15, 2024, all state higher education institutions shall submit their plans,
pursuant to all of the aforementioned requirements, for sixty percent of all baccalaureate
degree programs then offered by the institution.
C. No later than June 15, 2025, all state higher education institutions shall submit their plans,
pursuant to all of the aforementioned requirements, for ninety percent of all baccalaureate
degree programs then offered by the institution.
SECTION 4: All state higher education institutions shall post their three-year degree pathways for
every applicable major on their websites and disseminate such information to the Department of
Education annually. The Department of Education shall then disseminate that information to
school superintendents, high school principals, and guidance counselors.
SECTION 5: All laws in conflict with this legislation are hereby declared null and void.
SECTION 6: This Act shall take effect on passage.
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