Thousands of parents, students, and educators marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Thursday to demand fair funding for New York City's charter schools. 

The rally began in the morning at Cadman Plaza, with more than 200 charter schools represented. 

Organizers of the rally say charter schools educate 1 in 6 city students, and say that those students attend college at five times the national average. The schools, however, do not receive the same funding or access to school buildings as district schools. 

"Unfortunately, despite being a charter school, we're not funded at the same rate as New York City public schools," Leslie Bernard Joseph of KIPP NYC said. "If you broke it down per kid, it's effectively $12,000 less per student for charter school students." 

"It's everything. It's the education. I see how much they improved the reading, the writing, how dedicated the teachers are," mother Kimberly Pena said. "The long hours, I know it's long hours, but the homework, the sports." 

Leaders stressed the rally was billed as non-political

Some criticized the demonstration, calling it a sacrifice of students' education for political gain.

"I'm a nonprofit leader, so I can't talk politics, but as a citizen of New York, I don't understand how it's a progressive position to say Black and brown families shouldn't have choice in public schools," said Rafiq R. Kalam Id-Din II, the founder of Ember Charter Schools.

Maria Bautista, with the group New Yorkers for Racially Just Public Schools, questioned the timing of the rally, ahead of the mayoral election.

"This is related to Zohran [Mamdani] and his position on charters. There's a reason why the charter schools are inequitable. Often times, charter schools get more money. They get private money," Bautista said.

The last rally as big as Thursday's happened in 2015, when then-Mayor Bill de Blasio clashed with charter advocates.

On "The Point with Marcia Kramer" earlier this month, mayoral frontrunner Mamdani said he opposes charter expansion, and on Thursday referred CBS News New York to the United Federation of Teachers, which endorsed Mamdani, arguing charters don't serve all kids equally.

"Public schools welcome and embrace all children and are determined to help all students thrive. Zohran Mamdani understands this. The leadership of the Success Academy charter chain never has. They continue to tell students and families who don't fit their mold to get out," UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.

Mamdani's opponents in the mayoral race – Mayor Eric Adams, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa – have all said they support expansion.

Some families said Thursday while they feel lucky to be enrolled in charter schools, the next mayor will have to decide just how far New York City will go to embrace them.