As a father who just chose not to send my older son to public school, here's what's happening:
1. NYC public schools are full of woke, mentally ill people. The teachers, the students, the counselors, everyone is wacked out. If you're just a normal parent that wants a normal school with a normal focus on education, good behavior, friendship, manners, etc. you are shit out of luck.
2. While there are some good elementary schools, most middle schools are atrocious, and result in some of the biggest drops in education outcomes. Even if you send your kid to a good elementary public school, you're 100% going to move in time for middle school. And if you make it to high school, your only hope are the specialized schools, but mamdani the islamist is intent on destroying them, which would completely fuck your kids.
3. The average kid in an average NYC public school is stupid as hell. 70% do not read proficiently for their grade level. They can't do math. They have a ton of behavioral issues and are bad influences on your kid.
As a normal father of a normal family I'm paying an absurd amount of taxes and for what? My hard earned money is being wasted on the comically evil teachers union, paying adult day care fraudsters, and subsidizing the "73% of public school students in poverty." This is just a scam. Those kids are not in poverty. Their parents work under the table, don't report anything to not pay taxes, and get ridiculous government subsidies.
Everyone is running a scam and families like mine are paying for it. It's no wonder so many of my peers left and despite living in NYC for coming on 30 years, I probably will too at some point.