During the 33 years New York City schools were controlled primarily by community school boards, the city's mayors posited that greater mayoral influence was the cure for the ills afflicting the city's schools. This paper applies theories of policy change to the 30-year battle for control of New York's schools while highlighting the role of the city's teachers union and the state government in obstructing a mayoral takeover. Ultimately, a confluence of economic instability and political quid pro quo in 2002 created a milieu conducive to Mayor Michael Bloomberg winning control of the city's schools. (Contains 2 tables and 5 notes.)