Speaking on education policy on Tuesday, Quinn said that technology is changing in the classroom but downplayed suggestions that tablets would cost more than paper textbooks.

"Technology has changed what we need to teach, and it's also changed how we need to teach," said Quinn.

“And if you think that sounds like it'll cost a lot of money, listen to this.

"We currently spend more than $100 million on textbooks. That's enough money to buy tablets for every student in New York City public schools and cover costs to make sure these online texts are meeting rigorous standards."

Quinn, who also used her speech to propose online resources for parents and to extend the hours of the school day for some students, is one of the leading Democratic contenders to become mayor later this year.