In New York City, two notable figures with connections to Maine teamed up Friday for a performance of a time-tested tune: “Wheels on the Bus.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and sensational children’s educator Ms. Rachel sung the children’s nursery rhyme with a group of preschoolers at a Lower Manhattan pre-K as part of an announcement of free childcare for 2-year-olds in New York City.
In addition to a commitment to expanding accessible childcare, both Mamdani and Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, hold ties to the state of Maine.
On YouTube, Accurso, 43, shares widely beloved educational videos for toddlers. Her channel has over 18 million subscribers and more than 14 billion views, with some episodes streaming on Netflix as well.
Accurso grew up in the Springvale area of Sanford and graduated from Sanford High School. Her singing career began in the Portland area before she moved to New York City. Accurso also served on Mamdani’s inaugural committee.
An advocate for children everywhere, her outspoken concern for Palestinian children in Gaza has garnered her both praise and criticism this past year.
Mamdani’s connection to Maine anchors in Brunswick, where he attended Bowdoin College. At the small liberal arts college, from which he graduated in 2014, he majored in Africana studies, was involved in the student newspaper and co-founded the college’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
While Accurso is much more experienced in entertaining children than the new mayor, she shared how Mamdani, 34, rose to the occasion on Friday.
She wrote on Instagram how the night before they sang, she sent Mamdani’s team a video of “Wheels on the Bus” in case he wanted to rehearse it, expecting the mayor to be too busy. But his team immediately wrote back saying he wanted to practice the song, she said.
“He showed up and nailed the song and choreo,” Accurso wrote. “You can tell he really cares about the children.”
Mamdani and Accurso also led a rendition of “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” followed by a discussion with the children about their feelings. Mamdani said he was feeling happy because of universal childcare for all 2-year-olds in the city.
The duo’s appearance at the pre-K followed the announcement on Thursday – Mamdani’s eighth day in office – that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will partner with Mamdani to deliver free childcare for two-year-olds in New York City starting in September, as well as strengthening the existing 3K program. The state committed to funding the program for two years, according to the city’s website, and the program will impact nearly 100,000 children.
