New York is currently engaged in a contentious debate over educational accountability as the state grapples with persistently low student proficiency levels despite high per-pupil spending. The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) union recently intensified pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul to reconsider her decision to participate in a federal tax-credit scholarship program that supporters say could expand educational options for students.
The union has expressed strong opposition to the program, arguing that it would encourage enrollment in private and religious schools where union dues are harder to collect, thereby potentially undermining public school funding. Critics of the union contend that this resistance hinders competition and reforms that could improve student outcomes.
Recent data highlight the challenges facing New York’s public schools. Only 48 percent of students in grades three through eight are reading at proficient levels, according to preliminary state assessments released last month. This performance has come despite New York’s status as the highest spender per pupil in the nation, allocating approximately $31,900 annually, markedly above the national average.
Instead of embracing measures tied to standardized testing, the union favors a “more teaching, less testing” approach, contending that testing can unfairly penalize educators. Manhattan Institute fellow Jennifer Weber noted that unions are reluctant to embrace testing because it subjects schools to scrutiny based on measurable results.
Last week, the unions achieved a significant policy change when the New York State Board of Regents voted to eliminate the Regents exam as a high school graduation requirement. Although students will still take the exam, the board plans to replace it with new criteria emphasizing skills such as critical thinking and effective communication. How these competencies will be objectively measured remains unclear.
In addition to this shift, New York’s Education Department recently restricted access to the state’s Advanced Placement (AP) exam data, denying U.S. News & World Report the ability to publish rankings that include AP scores. State officials cited concerns about protecting student data and preventing commercial misuse. However, opponents argue that withholding AP results obscures public school underperformance and negatively affects the visibility of high-achieving charter schools such as Success Academy, which previously ranked 11th statewide before the omission of AP scores caused its ranking to fall sharply.
The debate also draws comparisons to other states that have pursued different strategies. Mississippi, for example, showed significant improvement in fourth-grade reading proficiency between 2019 and 2024 after adopting science-based reading curricula and regular student assessments, including holding back students who do not meet benchmarks.
Governor Hochul introduced reforms aligned with these approaches in 2024 by mandating the adoption of the “science of reading” in school districts. Still, as of late last year, over 20 percent of districts continued to use outdated reading methods, a trend some attribute to the influence of teacher unions. A study by the Progressive Policy Institute identified a negative correlation between stronger union presence and the adoption of effective literacy programs.
As New York confronts these challenges, the governor faces mounting pressure to resist union opposition and implement policies aimed at reversing the decline in educational outcomes. Advocates argue that maintaining participation in the federal tax-credit scholarship program and insisting on rigorous standards could be critical steps toward improving opportunities for the state’s students.