NYC schools are still failing to teach over 40% of kids — and it may soon get WORSE

Bad news: More than 40% of city kids in grades 3-8 failed math and English in this spring’s state testing.

Worse news: Most ideas on the table for the public-school system would only add to the failure.

The city Department of Education opted to look on the bright side, pointing to small increases in proficiency of 7 points in reading and 3 in math — but that comes as the State Education Department is steadily watering down the exams.

Indeed, SED’s hostility to standardized testing is also shown by the insanely delayed release of the results, which in past years came at the start of the summer, not the end.

That said, the double-digit improvement in Grade 3 (12.9%) and 5 (15%) reading scores suggests that Mayor Eric Adams’ NYC Reads reforms are having a positive impact after two years.

But even these gains are imperiled, as the leading mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, seeks to end mayoral control and so hand de facto control of the schools to the United Federation of Teachers — whose only priorities are ever-growing pay and perks for its members, and gaining more members to collect dues from.

Because it’s somehow coded as “progressive,” Mamdani also openly intends to wage war on the city’s charter schools — the very public schools that best deliver for the lower-income, minority children that fare worst in DOE schools.

Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, polling second in the race, was once better on these issues — has now declared allegiance to the UFT and turned his back on charters: As we’ve said before, he’ll betray anyone to serve his own interests.

That 40% of schoolchildren in grades 3 through 8 can’t earn a barely passing grade in math or English is the shame of a city. Parents should be furious. Politicians should be embarrassed.

This year’s mayoral contest has so far offered not even token debate on improving public education, and now Mamdani’s trying to make the race all about who can best fight President Donald Trump. He and Cuomo are in a race to see who hates President Trump more.

New York’s children matter a lot more to the city’s future; here’s hoping the candidates don’t keep getting away with ignoring their needs.