Overview

• The Rally and March for Excellence began at Cadman Plaza, moved across the Brooklyn Bridge after morning speeches, and concluded with a City Hall news conference.
• Organizers estimated more than 15,000 participants representing over 200 schools, including Success Academy, KIPP, Uncommon, Ascend, Democracy Prep, Zeta and BLACC-affiliated schools.
• Success Academy canceled classes so students could attend, and CEO Eva Moskowitz warned of threats to charter excellence, later citing worries about facilities, funding and bureaucracy.
• Organizers discouraged candidate appearances, yet Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa attended and reiterated support for expanding charters, while Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani opposes growth.
• Former governor and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has long backed charters, as unions and other critics argue the schools divert money and students from traditional public schools.