NY charter rally sparks probe push by union-aligned lawmakers
Democratic state senators Liu and Mayer urge SUNY and the state education department to investigate whether a pro-charter rally violated rules; charter operators push back, saying the event was advocacy, not a campaign activity.
Two Democratic New York state senators on Tuesday urged state education officials to open a formal probe into whether a Sept. 18 rally in support of charter schools ran afoul of state laws and funding rules. Senators John Liu of Queens and Shelly Mayer of Westchester, who chair committees that oversee New York City schools, asked Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and SUNY Chancellor John King to determine whether the event—attended by about 15,000 parents and students—involved misuse of public funds or disrupted classes on a school day.
Charter-school operators hit back, saying the rally was not partisan and amounted to pro-charter advocacy rather than a campaign event. They condemned Liu and Mayer for labeling the gathering a political display and accused the lawmakers of smearing educators and families who support school choice. The charter leaders said the rally represented a civic gathering of families seeking fair access to better options and denied coercion claims.
In their letter to Rosa and King, Liu and Mayer asserted concerns that some charter schools’ staff and families may have been pressured to attend the demonstration and that cancelling classes during a school day to participate could amount to an egregious misuse of student time and state funds. They urged a probe into whether the rally violated state rules or laws and whether any related actions about charter expansion were improperly influenced.
The charter operators who organized or supported the rally pushed back against the criticism, saying the event was not a partisan display and that it highlighted a broad base of parental choice. In a joint response, they argued that if policymakers truly cared about equity and justice, they would focus on removing barriers to charter expansion rather than casting families as coerced participants. The letter from charter leaders, signed by figures including Ember Charter Schools founder Rafiq Kalam Id-Din II and Lamad Academy Charter Schools head Rev. Al Cockfield, Jr., contends that an arbitrary charter cap denies families choice and hinders access to proven school options.
There are now about 286 charter schools in New York City serving more than 150,000 students, roughly 15% of the city’s publicly funded schools, according to the NYC Charter School Center. Pro-charter advocates note that charters typically operate longer days and years and that many charter students outperform their peers on state math and English tests.
Liu stood by his position on Wednesday, telling reporters that while the rhetoric in the charter letters had a polished tone, the underlying issue remained: classes were cancelled for the rally, using state funds, and there should be a determination whether staff and families faced coercion. He said the investigation question is legitimate and warranted given the facts as presented.
The pro-charter rally occurred just weeks before the Nov. 4 general election for mayor, where Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has expressed opposition to lifting the state cap on charter schools. The dispute over governance, funding, and expansion underscores a broader, ongoing political fight over charter education policy in New York City and the state.