Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears Live on PIX11's "PIX11 News at 6pm"

April 10, 2024

Shirley Chan: Thank you so much for joining us for the PIX11 News at 6. I'm Shirley Chan. 

Kori Chambers: I'm Kori Chambers. We begin with that new report on control of New York City schools. Among the findings, parents and teachers taking issue with their lack of involvement on how schools are run.  

In fact, one part of the report reads, quote, decisions made at the mayoral level may not align with the day-to-day realities that we face in the classroom. However, despite the report's nearly 300 pages, there was no official recommendation on control of schools. Rather, it suggests that all options be looked at. 

Chan: Yes, Mayor Adams was quick to blast this report. He's joining us now to discuss this further. Mayor Adams, thank you so much for coming on to PIX11 News. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much. My mother used to say, keep the main thing the main thing. The main thing for education is are we developing the full personhood of our children, from our daily breathing exercises, to giving them mental health help 24 hours, seven days a week without teen space, but increasing scores.  

We are outpacing the state in reading and in math. If you do an analysis, since mayoral control was in place, pre-mayoral control, a 50-something percent graduation rate and real disparities around ethnicity and people of color. Post-mayoral control, over 80 percent. We closed some of the disparity gaps that we've been dealing with. I don't know why we're even having this conversation. 

Chan: Mayor, you've called this report a sham. The report, as we mentioned, makes no official recommendation, only to call for more studying of this issue. Does the report even have any teeth? 

Mayor Adams: No, it doesn't. But what it does, number one, the unwillingness to look at scores as an indicator, the unwillingness to look at other governance models across the entire country that is not dealing with mayoral accountability.  

Then to talk about the result is to do another study. That is just not logical. It puts confusion in the air. You only had 100 or 500 parents that testified at these hearings, roughly. You have over a million students. When you have professional parents that come in and not hear from the rank-and-file parents of how well they're seeing their schools change from dyslexia screening to different phonics-based reading that the state is not picking up, all of these Ws that we're seeing. 

Chambers: What's a professional parent? I'm just trying to understand what you're saying here, because you're trying to say that the parents that spoke in this report aren't real parents? Explain that to me. 

Mayor Adams: Yeah, no, that's so important that you say that. I use that terminology. There are those who mobilize at every event and just constantly are naysayers to our schools. You see them at every event. They're the loudest voices, but when you speak to the overwhelming majority of parents, there's just a different call.  

Like, when I was running for office, people were saying, those same loud voices were saying, take school safety officers out of school. I said no to that. When we started doing forums with young people, the number one and two issues they asked for, school safety agents and dealing with mental health crises. That is what I say when we have to listen to those who are on the ground and really want to improve our school system. 

Chambers: But I just want to be clear on this, because the report says that essentially a lot of parents feel like, at least the parents that were talked to in the report, feel like they're not being listened to. You're saying we need to listen to parents, but you have parents say they're not being listened to, and then you're saying, well sorry, you're not the right parents. Explain this to me. I want to understand it. That’s all. 

Mayor Adams: Okay, you could understand, you know, but you seem to feel as though that we are attacking parents, and that's not what we're doing. This is what I'm saying.  

Chambers: I don't feel any way about it. I just want to understand it, Mr. Mayor.  

Mayor Adams: This is what I'm saying to you. You have 500, roughly 500 parents who testify out of a million students, 500 out of a million. So, when they say that parents say they're not involved, they were looking at, based on those interviews of those 500 parents.  

What we should have done, and I hope we would have done, not just use a short period of time, did a more extensive search of what we're hearing every day. We have PTAs. We have CECs. We have PEPs. We have student councils. You hear voices from parents and children all the time in the Department of Education. Every elected would tell you this chancellor has been more receptive to sitting down and engaging with electeds and parents than probably a chancellor in the history of this city. 

Chan: Mayor, we just have a few minutes left. Before we let you go, I want to change topics to talk about squatters in New York City. There have been a lot of high-profile cases lately. You're working on legislation. What do you want to see done in terms of squatters and squatters' rights? 

Mayor Adams: There's no legislation that has been put in place yet. We met with City Council members. I know that some of our state lawmakers had a press conference this afternoon. We must make sure that we protect homeowners and don't have illegal people sitting in there, residents. We're looking forward to doing that and hearing from the City Council and our state lawmakers. 

Chambers: All right. Henry Rosoff, our reporter, covered a rally today on the topic of housing, on affordable housing. A big part of that I know is happening on fixing zoning issues. How close are we to actually seeing significant changes in the way zoning is done in the city? 

Mayor Adams: We are excited about the energy in Albany. Our team has been up there. My communication is with the governor. We have to deal with the 1 percent, 1.4 percent vacancy rate that we are seeing right now. That is just not going to deal with this crisis.  

We need to raise the FAR, allow us to build higher, do conversion of office spaces, look at things like basement apartments, and really make it easier to build. That's why not only we need a state response, but here in the city as well with our City of Yes proposal that's going in front of the City Council. 

Chan: Okay, Mayor Eric Adams, there's a lot of issues facing New Yorkers today. We thank you for taking the time to come on the PIX11 News. 

Chambers: Thank you. We need more time next time, though. I want to get into a little bit more with you, Mr. Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: I'm hanging out with Dan all the time. I would love to come in the studios with you guys also. Thank you.