A pitch to redirect NYC's massive school spending straight to parents — bad news for the school system, potentially good for families if adopted.

• New York City spends $37 billion a year on schools, over $42,000 per student.
• Results are terrible: two-thirds of fourth graders fail math, three-quarters can't read at grade level.
• The proposal: hand that $42,000 directly to each mom instead of the school system.
• Public school spending is treated as politically untouchable, so the pitch works around that by rerouting the money.

Outlook: This is a talking point aimed at NYC's mayoral debate, not a real policy yet — expect more school-choice pressure as poor test scores keep making headlines.