Zohran Mamdani’s next big test: Can New York’s new mayor fix America’s most complex school system?

When Zohran Mamdani swept into New York’s mayoral office promising free child care for all babies and toddlers, he captured the imagination of voters with a pledge that was both bold and humane. But as the newly elected mayor prepares to take charge in January, another daunting responsibility awaits him, and that is the stewardship of the largest and most complex public education system in the United States. According to NYC Department of Education , New York City’s 1,500 schools serve nearly 900,000 students and operate on an annual budget of about $41 billion, a scale comparable to the economy of a small nation. Managing it will test Mamdani’s political skill, fiscal discipline, and reformist instincts more than any campaign promise so far. Mamdani, 34, has not yet unveil