Jim Walden for Mayor of New York City
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Jim Walden Unveils Education Plan: Improving Outcomes in Public Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2025
Media Contact: Sara Silver
(646) 705-3286
sara@jimfornyc.com

NEW YORK — Independent mayoral candidate Jim Walden on Friday released his plan to improve outcomes in New York City public schools. From fixing struggling elementary schools to improving math and literacy skills, the Walden education plan is comprehensive and will ensure that no New York City public school kid gets left behind.

Jim Walden, Independent candidate for NYC Mayor said, “As Mayor, I will make New York City public schools gems for students, teachers, parents and the whole community. New Yorkers deserve real leadership, not more excuses. We can fix this. We will fix this. And we will do it by putting people ahead of politics. With my education plan, I will bring independence and integrity to City Hall.”

Walden’s 8 part education plan includes doubling the number of specialized high schools, expanding the number of Career and Technical Education (CTE) high schools, creation of “Reading Skills Pays the Bills” in partnership with NYCHA Community Centers – offering parents rent credits if kids attend and complete additional courses, accelerated math curriculum, mandated literacy curriculum and a plan to fix struggling elementary schools by creating a Mayor’s District comprised of the highest-need elementary schools.

You can access Walden’s full education plan here.

About Jim Walden

Jim Walden learned early that success comes through resilience and hard work while growing up in working-class Levittown, Pennsylvania. Despite an abusive father who abandoned the family when Jim was 14, he graduated near the top of his class while distinguishing himself in debate. His two years in the U.S. Navy’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps earned him dozens of commendations, foreshadowing a lifetime of public service.

It wasn’t easy for Jim to get to college. He spent a year working multiple jobs—from drugstore clerk to fast-food worker—sleeping on a friend’s floor while saving for his education until a friend helped him find a college where he’d earn financial aid. At Hamilton College, he excelled academically, winning awards for public speaking and campus service, and played rugby. He went to Temple University law school on an academic scholarship and graduated first in his class. He secured a coveted clerkship with a federal appellate judge in Philadelphia, Anthony Joseph Scirica.

As a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Jim quickly earned a reputation for innovative strategies that made him the go-to prosecutor for FBI and DEA agents, as well as NYPD officers. Focusing on organized crime, his investigations led to more than 100 convictions—including members of all five New York crime families and one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. He helped to solve 25 cold-case homicides. His groundbreaking work was featured in National Geographic’s “Inside the American Mob.”

Jim built one of New York City’s premier litigation boutiques over a decade, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to public service law. Across his 20+ year career in private practice, his “good government” work has touched many corners of city life:

  • Fought for safer schools by forcing the Department of Education to protect bullied schoolkids
  • Secured $250 million for emergency repairs and better living conditions for over 400,000 NYCHA residents
  • Protected public spaces by stopping illegal parkland transfers in Manhattan and Brooklyn
  • Defended voting rights by successfully challenging gerrymandered district maps
  • Restored vital food assistance to impoverished New Yorkers
  • Protected hundreds of thousands of city retirees from healthcare cuts
  • Saved emergency care in Southern Brooklyn when SUNY wanted to close a critical hospital

While building this career over 30 years and running a thriving law practice, Jim has remained devoted to family and community. He and his wife raised three children in Brooklyn, while financially supporting his sister and her four children. His commitment to public service extends to philanthropic work across numerous issues, and service on an array of not-for-profit boards, demonstrating that success means lifting others as you rise.

Jim’s story—from a challenging childhood to becoming one of New York’s most effective advocates for justice—embodies the spirit of our city: resilient, innovative, and deeply committed to helping others succeed.

For more information: www.jimfornyc.com