NYC to Hire Thousands of New Teachers to Shrink Class Sizes
Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City will hire 3,700 new teachers to comply with the state's controversial class size law. This is a significant shift from his previous stance, where he argued the mandate was unaffordable.
The city will allocate additional funds to the Department of Education to reduce class sizes in 750 public schools. The law mandates class size caps of 20 students for kindergarten through third grade, 23 for fourth through eighth grade, and 25 for high school.
<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/nys-gov-kathy-hochul-endorsed-17230566.jpg?w=1024" alt="Mayor Eric Adams">A Significant Policy Shift
The Adams administration previously opposed the class size law, calling it an unfunded mandate. However, the mayor now states the city will comply, aiming for 60% compliance by September 2025 and full compliance by 2028.
<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/00pm-part-12-hour-day-79821537.jpg?w=1024" alt="Students in a classroom">The exact cost remains unclear, but estimates from the city's budget office suggest hundreds of millions, potentially billions, in additional annual spending. This will be incorporated into the 2026 fiscal year budget. Currently, about 46% of city schools meet the class size requirements.
Recruitment Challenges Ahead
The Department of Education is now facing the considerable challenge of recruiting and hiring 3,700 new teachers. They plan to implement targeted recruitment efforts to meet the deadline for the upcoming school year. This hiring announcement, made ahead of the final budget release in June, allows principals time to prepare.
<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/2024-world-series-legacy-project-92569679.jpg?w=1024" alt="New York City Public School">The United Federation of Teachers union president, Michael Mulgrew, supports the initiative, highlighting that NYC students deserve the same class sizes as students in other parts of the state. State Senator John Liu also expressed optimism about the city's commitment to the law's implementation.
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