Recommendations Concerning Civic Education in New York City’s Schools

SUMMARY

The Civic Education Committee (Harlan Levy and Hon. Parker, Co-Chairs) issued a letter to the new mayoral administration offering to partner with the administration to strengthen civic education in New York City schools. The letter describes the Committee’s diverse expertise and its mission to promote understanding of the rule of law and democratic principles through active civic engagement. It highlights concerns about limited civic education requirements and low voter turnout in New York, despite constitutional obligations to prepare students for civic participation.

The committee outlined recent initiatives, including volunteer fairs, voter registration guidance for high schools, resources explaining judicial elections, public speaker events on civic engagement, and short educational videos. Noting the increased voter participation in the recent mayoral election, the Committee emphasizes the importance of sustaining civic engagement and requested a meeting with the education department to discuss collaboration on advancing civic education citywide.

REPORT

Hon. Zohran Mamdani
Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

RE: Recommendations Concerning Civic Education in New York City’s Schools

Dear Mayor Mamdani,

Congratulations on your recent election. We write on behalf of the New York City Bar Association’s Civic Education Committee to share recommendations for strengthening civic education in New York City’s schools.  We would welcome a meeting with representatives of your education department to discuss how we can work in partnership to move civic education forward.

The Committee has members from diverse practices, including academia, law firms, government, non-profits, the state and federal judiciary, and retired lawyers.  Many have significant experience in civic education projects, and some have extensive experience with the New York State and City school systems.

The Committee aims to develop ways in which lawyers, judges and legal professionals can contribute to increased public understanding of the importance of the rule of law and democratic principles of government. It seeks to do so by identifying and supporting efforts that teach people about our system of government, including our system of justice, and about how to participate in local, state, and federal government as active and informed citizens. The Committee also has liaisons with the New York City Department of Education Civics for All Program, the Justice Resource Center, and the Second Circuit Justice for All: Courts and the Community Initiative, so that it can coordinate volunteers and learn ways in which the Committee can support schools with civic education.

The Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, held in 2003 that the state constitution requires New York State to provide all of its students “a meaningful high school education,” one that will prepare them to “function productively as civic participants capable of voting [or] serving on a jury,” and “to obtain ‘competitive employment.’”  Yet, New York’s voter turnout is alarmingly low, and the lone civic education requirement in New York State is a one semester Participation in Government high school course.

As members of the legal profession, we are committed to making civic education more robust, engaging and accessible for all New York City students.  Recent Committee initiatives include:

• In October 2025, the Committee hosted its third annual volunteer fair, connecting attendees with diverse civic education organizations and opportunities to volunteer directly with organizations. The Committee also maintains an online volunteer registration form for City Bar members, enabling year-round involvement in civics projects both inside and outside schools.[1]
• The Committee developed and distributed to high schools statewide a model policy and FAQs regarding N.Y. Election Law Section 5-507(2), which requires all New York State high schools to have a voter registration program for their students.[2]
• The Committee drafted and published the first comprehensive guidance for New York City voters explaining how state court judges are elected, along with information on how to research candidates appearing on the ballot.[3]
• The Committee hosted speaker and panel events featuring leading voices on civic engagement: David C. Banks (then NYC DOE Chancellor) discussed the importance of civic education and attorney involvement; Richard Haass (former President of the Council on Foreign Relations) participated in a civics conversation with Gillian Lester (then Dean of Columbia Law School); and Damon Hewitt (President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law) addressed strategies to combat voter suppression and disinformation.
• The Committee launched Civics Snapshots: Fast Facts, Big Impact. The short videos provide attorneys tools to promote civic engagement in their local communities.[4]

Your election was significant as it brought increased engagement by New York City voters. Two million New Yorkers voted, an increase of 84% over the last municipal election.  We applaud increases in civic engagement and believe civics education is essential to teaching children the importance of civic engagement, which includes being informed voters

We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with representatives of your education department to discuss how we can advance civic education in New York City.  Elizabeth Kocienda, the City Bar’s Director of Advocacy, will follow up regarding scheduling.  Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Harlan A. Levy, Co-Chair
Civic Education Committee

The Honorable Katharine Huth Parker, Co-Chair
Civic Education Committee

Cc: Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, New York City Public Schools
Hon. Dean Fuleihan, First Deputy Mayor, Mayor of the City of New York
Elle Bisgaard-Church, Chief of Staff, Mayor of the City of New York
Liz Vladeck, Esq., General Counsel, New York City Public Schools