This letter was sent to Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and JPCA was copied.
Dear Chancellor Samuels,
I write regarding the serious technical failures that occurred during the administration of the 2026 New York State Mathematics Exam for students in grades 3 through 8.
Reports indicate that students across New York City and New York State experienced login failures and other technological disruptions that prevented many from properly completing the exam. These incidents caused unnecessary stress and confusion for students, teachers, school staff, and families during an already high-pressure testing environment.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the transition to computer-based testing has been marred by technical issues. Parents and educators throughout my district have repeatedly raised concerns about the reliability of these systems, as well as broader concerns about the growing overreliance on screens in the classroom.
I respectfully request that the Department of Education provide answers regarding the following:
• How many New York City schools and students were
impacted by the technical failures?
• What specifically caused the disruptions during the
exam administration?
• What safeguards were in place prior to testing, and
why did they fail?
• What steps will the DOE and the State Education
Department take to ensure this does not happen again?
• Has the DOE evaluated returning standardized
testing to paper-and-pencil administration in order
to prevent future disruptions?
At a time when many students already spend significant portions of the school day in front of screens, these failures reinforce the importance of returning to basic, reliable methods when administering high-stakes exams. There is nothing wrong with paper-and-pencil testing. In fact, many parents and educators believe it provides a more stable and less distracting testing environment for students.
Our children should not have their academic experience disrupted because of avoidable technological failures.
I urge the DOE to thoroughly review this matter and seriously consider returning to paper-based testing for future state exams.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
I look forward to your response,

Sincerely,
Phil Wong
Council Member, District 30