NYC Arts in Education Roundtable Applauds Mamdani Admin for Arts and Education Support

BROOKLYN, NY (05/14/2026) (readMedia)-- This week, the Mamdani Administration released the Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which includes a $10 million baseline investment in the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and an additional $122 million to hire 1,000 new teachers. In response, Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable issued the following statement:

"The arts are essential for New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Dance, music, theater, creative writing, film, and the visual arts help students to grow both in and out of the classroom, develop awareness, broaden their perspectives, and pursue their passions. But without sufficient support for the institutions and the invaluable workforce that power our arts ecosystem, students will not get the opportunities they need and deserve.

We thank Mayor Mamdani for his commitment to arts education including a $10 million baseline investment in DCLA funding which will support partnerships with cultural organizations and schools. The additional $122 million to hire 1,000 new teachers will go a long way in ensuring students have individualized attention. Mamdani's prioritizing the hiring of arts teachers through TEACH NYC will also encourage artists to become educators and fill a gap that our most underserved students need.

We look forward to working with the Admin and the Council toward a final budget that addresses the cost-of-living crisis facing the city's arts education workforce and advances arts opportunities for all of our city's students - because it starts with the arts."

Despite playing a critical role in arts instruction across the city, many teaching artists struggle with low pay, delayed payment due to persistent challenges with city contracts, and limited access to benefits, making it increasingly difficult to afford to live and work in New York City.

Background

Last year, the Roundtable was proud to work with the Mayor and City Council to baseline over $41 million in funding for arts education, which will go to supporting arts education programming for every student. Now, the Roundtable is urging the Mayor and Council to continue their support for the arts by empowering the teachers and teaching artists essential to the city's arts ecosystem and ensuring they are able to remain and work in NYC.

In addition to addressing the cost of living crisis for New York City's arts workforce, the NYC Arts in Education roundtable is calling for elected officials to preserve and improve arts education by:

• Restoring and Enhancing "Support for Arts Instruction" initiative funding: Increase allocation from $4M to $6M to meet city-wide demand for increased arts learning opportunities.
• Requiring NYCPS arts funding be spent on the arts: Boost the per student arts allocation to $100 from $89.76, and require that money be spent on arts education.
• Ensuring Every School Has a Certified Arts Teacher: Ensure that all schools have at least one certified arts teacher, in part by reviving the successful supplemental arts certification program ($4M) and funding a PE Works-inspired improvement plan using the already baselined arts education funding.
• Improving arts education data transparency: Require mandatory reporting on school-level arts education access, participation, spending, and MTAC procurement (R1129/R1180) via T&C.
• Updating the NYCPS Blueprint for Arts Learning to define sequential pathways for arts learning that integrate culturally-responsive pedagogy and reflect rapid advancements in media and technology (last updated in 2015).
• Restoring and Baselining Funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs ($30M): Baselining this one-time addition supports arts organizations and workers city-wide, offering sector-wide stabilization and preventing further artist displacement.

About NYC Arts in Education Roundtable:

The New York City Arts in Education Roundtable is a service organization working to improve and advance arts education. The Roundtable is a community of arts education practitioners dedicated to sharing information, providing professional development, and communicating with the public to promote our work in schools and beyond.