Incoming NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani must decide whether to keep schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos amid transition challenges and shifting control debates.

New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is set to decide whether to retain current schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos amid growing pressure for stability during a transition marked by challenges like migrant student integration and budget decisions. While Mamdani has signaled openness to keeping her, he has not yet confirmed his choice, drawing scrutiny over the lack of transparency. His broader pledge to end mayoral control over schools reflects a national trend of shifting governance models, but evidence shows no single structure consistently improves student outcomes. In New York, the Panel for Educational Policy has increasingly defied the mayor, rejecting the budget and asserting independence, weakening the mayor’s influence. With state lawmakers poised to decide whether to extend mayoral control, Mamdani’s choice will shape the future of the nation’s largest school system.