NYC PS & You: Thank You – 10/11/2024

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Thank You

Dear Families and Staff,

This week is my final full week as Chancellor of NYC Public Schools (NYCPS), and I am filled with gratitude. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve over one million students and staff across the five boroughs, and the experience has left me in awe of the NYCPS community. The dedication of our educators, staff, and families is unmatched. The brilliance of our children is boundless.

After serving our school system for nearly 40 years, I want to share three reflections and lessons learned when it comes to building bright starts and bold futures for our kids:

  1. We cannot overlook the basics—literacy and numeracy. These skills serve as the basis for success in school, work, and life. With NYC Reads and NYC Solves, we are creating a new playbook for how we teach reading and math, one supported by research, grounded in high-quality curricula, and supplemented with educator coaching.
  2. In a quickly changing world, it is critical to continue reimagining the school experience. We are doing just that with our pathways programming, ensuring that students enter the workforce with a head start, a strong plan, and real-world skills. We are exploring the impact of new technologies like AI, and we are also focusing on civic engagement—all to prepare our students to address society’s challenges.
  3. The best ideas come from our families, staff, and students themselves. Being Chancellor has only reaffirmed my longstanding belief that family and community engagement must be at the center of everything we do. I have visited schools across the city and spoken with countless members of our NYCPS community—and their perspectives and feedback have impacted our school system for the better.

To our families: You are our children’s first teachers, and your support and engagement are critically important to their success. I encourage you to continue to connect with your child’s school in any way you can. We need your partnership!

To our staff: Remember that every day counts and that the work you do changes lives. Our students only get one chance at an education, and it is our job to provide them with the experiences and opportunities they deserve.

I am proud of all we’ve accomplished since January 2022, but there is always more work to be done. Beginning on October 16, NYCPS will be led by the capable and steady hand of incoming Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos; I have complete confidence in her leadership and her ability to advance the critical initiatives we have started.

I thank you all—staff, families, parent leaders, and community members—for your commitment to the children of our city and for trusting me to serve as your Chancellor. I will remain your steadfast advocate and supporter as you guide our students to bright starts and bold futures.

Soaring high,

David C. Banks

Chancellor

Our Spotlight Video:

Bright Starts and Bold Futures, in the Words of Chancellor Banks

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