2-K, contract delays, and pay parity: Here’s what’s ahead for NYC’s new head of early childhood education

Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Erica Phillips as the new deputy chancellor for the Education Department's Division of Early Childhood Education just two days before the start of the school year. Phillips, a nonprofit leader who has supported family childcare providers, is expected to oversee the implementation of the city's ambitious free childcare program for 2-year-olds, which is set to begin on Thursday.

The division is currently grappling with a severe contract backlog that has pushed some providers to the brink of closure. Mamdani's spokesperson called the delays "unacceptable," and officials have launched an "all government" effort to rush payments to providers before the start of school. Phillips' appointment comes at a critical juncture, as the division is set to launch the 2-K program for 2,000 toddlers, with plans to expand to 12,000 kids by next fall.

Mamdani has promised universal access to the program for every 2-year-old in the city who wants a spot by the end of his first term, although funding for the first two years has only been committed by Governor Kathy Hochul. Phillips, who will officially take over in mid-September, expressed her eagerness to start her new role and her confidence in the plan put forward by Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

She emphasized that the division, which oversees publicly funded programs for some 150,000 kids under age 5, has been affected by years of staffing cuts and turmoil. The division currently has about 560 employees, with 86 vacant positions, and Phillips has pledged a $43 million investment to hire an additional 200 staffers.