I at all times really feel that September, not January 1st, is when the brand new 12 months actually begins. That’s when our nice staff of lecturers, principals, and help workers throughout all 5 boroughs welcomes our youngsters again after the summer season, and for the following 180 college days, it’s all palms on deck as we serve our practically 1 million college students. I understand how a lot college issues and have personally skilled among the challenges that our younger individuals face.
I’ve dyslexia and struggled to learn as a baby. My mom labored three jobs simply to make ends meet and ensure my siblings and I had a roof over our heads. And, but, once I obtained the fitting assist, I used to be in a position to change course and, at present, I’m mayor of the best metropolis on the planet. Our public college system made me who I’m — it allowed me to meet my abilities and goals, and I need each youngster who attends our public colleges to have the identical alternative. That’s the reason, from day one, our administration has been dedicated to a 360-degree strategy to schooling.
Our strategy takes into consideration the entire youngster and their life, each in and outdoors the classroom, from delivery till after they graduate. That’s the reason we instituted common dyslexia screenings in order that, for the primary time in New York Metropolis public-school historical past, college students can get the assistance they want early on. It’s additionally why we expanded early childhood schooling, which has reached a file 150,000 youngsters throughout our system — as a result of we all know that younger households want a protected house for his or her youngsters and that youngsters be taught higher when they’re given these alternatives from delivery. It’s why we expanded enrollment for our Summer season Youth Employment Program and Summer season Rising — to offer college students a spot to be taught and develop over the summer season. And it’s the motive our administration created common after-school programming and expanded FutureReadyNYC, so that every one youngsters have the chance to have interaction in extra-curricular actions, get work expertise, and put together for work or school even after the varsity bell rings on the finish of the day.
Our dedication to nurturing the potential of each scholar can also be why we revamped our math and studying curricula. NYC Solves is a instructing methodology primarily based on in depth analysis and NYC Reads brings college students again to the tried-and-true methodology of phonics. I don’t need any youngster to wrestle with fundamental abilities the best way I did.
These curricula modifications have led to substantial will increase in studying and math scores for college students in grades 3-8. Our charges are increased than these of New York state in each math and English language arts and mirror the very best share of scholars assembly proficiency requirements as set by the New York state Training Division since 2012.
However it’s not nearly grades. We’re centered on the expertise of every particular person youngster who now has the boldness to boost their hand at school and not hates to go to high school, as I as soon as did. Perhaps that’s the reason we now have the bottom proportion of chronically absent college students in 4 years.
Moreover, our administration has added 57 Gifted and Proficient packages to the system to serve our accelerated learners and opened seven new colleges for the 2025-2026 college 12 months alone, together with the HBCU Early Faculty Prep Excessive College — the first-of-its form in New York Metropolis.
Furthermore, we’ve helped over 15,000 college students safe $25 million in work-based studying by FutureReadyNYC, cemented new labor contracts for our lecturers and college administrative workers, and invested $180 million to implement a complete class dimension discount plan — so that every youngster receives individualized consideration.
None of this has occurred in a vacuum. It requires impressed lecturers, devoted help workers, and regular management, together with that of Public Faculties Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. Born and raised within the Bronx to a single mom, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos additionally is aware of what it’s prefer to leap over hurdles. She is the primary in her household to graduate from highschool and the primary in her household to attend school. Final month, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos hosted her first State of the Faculties handle, highlighting an growth to NYCPS Cares, a set of signature initiatives to handle systemic inequities in colleges, new programs of help for literacy improvement, a brand new four-part framework for synthetic intelligence, and extra.
If a woman from the Bronx can lead the nation’s largest public college system, and a boy who was ashamed to learn at school can change into mayor of New York Metropolis, then something is feasible on this metropolis — and our nice public colleges are right here to assist all our college students notice their full potential.
