New York City’s Director of Public School Education, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, announced the results of the 2025 elections for the 32 Community Education Councils (CEC) and the 4 Citywide Education Councils (CCEC). This year saw a 25% increase in the number of parent applications, indicating a growing level of parental involvement. The complete election results can be found on the New York City Department of Education’s website.
This year’s elections received a total of 1,368 applications, showing a 24% increase compared to the 2023 elections. Particularly noteworthy is the significant rise in applications in Districts 2, 6, 10, 13, 14, and 15, where the number of applicants has doubled from the previous year.
In districts with a higher population of Chinese students, there is a notable presence of Chinese parents on the education councils. For instance, in Brooklyn’s District 20, based on the surnames of the 9 elected members, at least 6 are of Chinese descent. In Queens’ District 26, there are at least 4 Chinese parent members, and in Flushing’s District 25, there are at least 3 Chinese parent members.
The city has a total of 32 Community Education Councils (CEC) and 4 Citywide Education Councils responsible for providing consultation and advice on school policies, zoning, and resource allocation within the districts. Given that parents are key stakeholders, their involvement will directly impact the quality and fairness of student education.
The education advocacy organization, Parents Leading for Accelerated Curriculum and Education in NYC (PLACE NYC), saw a majority of the parents they endorsed being elected, totaling 112 parents who secured seats, representing 31% of all positions. Especially in larger districts like District 3 (Upper West Side), District 20 (Southern Brooklyn), and District 26 (Northeast Queens), these endorsed parents hold the majority of seats. They also garnered the highest number of votes in the elections for Districts 2, 3, 20, 26, as well as the English Language Learners Committee (CCELL) and 16 other committees.
Yiatin Chu, Co-Chair of PLACE NYC, stated, “The 112 parents supported by PLACE NYC reflect the true diversity of New York City public schools and will help establish and protect rigorous academic standards and merit-based accelerated education programs.”
Despite the mismanagement exhibited by the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) system in these elections and the reported attempts of several politicians, political action committees (PACs), and external groups to influence the outcome, PLACE NYC’s advocacy for a demanding education philosophy has resonated with parents seeking more challenging educational opportunities, prompting many to turn away from public schools.
With New York City facing a mayoral election next year, there may be a new appointment for the Director of Education. PLACE NYC stresses that given the challenges the NYC public schools face in enrollment trends, funding, absenteeism rates, and declining academic performance, they hope the potential new Director of Education will address these issues seriously and collaborate sincerely with these elected parent leaders.
The responsibilities of education council members include providing policy recommendations, approving school zoning, and guiding other critical aspects of the public school system.