Ingrid Lewis-Martin on keeping mayoral control over NYC schools

NEW YORK (PIX11) – In a wide-ranging interview on PIX on Politics, Chief Advisor to the Mayor Ingrid Lewis-Martin discussed several topics regarding the much-anticipated state budget that is expected to be finalized sometime on Friday, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

A big topic: mayoral control of the New York City school system. Late Thursday, Sen. John Liu confirmed to PIX11’s Dan Mannarino that the mayor will be granted two more years of mayoral control, less than the four that he wanted, with an emphasis on keeping a close eye on reducing class size. Lewis-Martin pointed to some recent wins of the Adams administration.

“Under our administration, within the last two and a half years, we’ve made great strides in education,” Lewis-Martin said. “Our math scores have gone up, our reading scores have gone up, the divide between our minority students and their counterparts have shrunk.”

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Over the past few weeks, there have been a series of personnel changes in the Adams administration, which Lewis-Martin attributes to how government works, saying that turnover in a first term is not uncommon. One example is what is playing out in the corporation counsel – where Sylvia Hinds-Radix plans to step down in the near future, according to Lewis-Martin.

“It was a mutual decision, I’m sure. We talk all the time,” Lewis-Martin said. “She’s running the office; she’s not leaving tomorrow or anytime soon.”

Lewis-Martin confirmed to PIX11 that Rando Mastro, a one-time deputy mayor under Rudy Guiliani, is in talks to become the city’s next top lawyer. It is important to point out that Mastro would need to be approved by a city council vote, where some members are already raising questions about his name being floated around.

Lewis-Martin says she is not concerned he would pass a full vote.

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