New York City Schools Superintendent: Why My Mom Pulled Me Out of City Public Schools

Long before Mayor Eric Adams appointed me Chancellor of New York City Public SchoolsI was the third child of a single mother from Puerto Rico. Growing up in the Bronx in the 1980s, my family experienced what many families in our city had to go through: unstable housing, a lack of opportunity in our neighborhood, and, most distressingly for my mother, schools that chronically failed their students. .

During that time, my mother watched her first two children attend public schools, which seemed more like a place to look after young people than a place to develop future leaders. So she worked tirelessly, taking part-time jobs and sacrificing much and little to be able to send me to a private Catholic school. She fought hard for my future, and thanks to her love and support, I became the first in my family to graduate from high school and college.

Shortly thereafter, as a new graduate from Fordham University, I was riding the subway one day and saw an advertisement New York Teaching Fellows program. At that moment everything came together. That subway ride marked the beginning of my teaching career and my life’s work – to ensure that no parent had to make the impossible choice my mother made, that every mother could confidently enroll her daughter in her local public school, knowing that she will be safe. , she will receive an excellent education and will be ready to conquer the world.

Today I am that mother; I am the proud parent of a New York City public school student.

A lot has changed in our public schools over the past few decades, and I have witnessed and contributed to these changes first-hand—as a teacher, a principal, an assistant superintendent, and most recently, an assistant provost.

Earlier this month I became Chancellorand my work is focused on ensuring public school choice for every New York City parent.

To do this, I will redouble my support for initiatives launched under Mayor Adams and Chancellor David Banks. I deeply believe in the work we have begun – with New York reads And New York decides our rethinking Student paths — and I plan to implement these priorities. Our schools must provide every student with a strong foundation in reading and math and prepare them for good-paying jobs.

The values ​​that my mother instilled in me, as well as her support and persistence, have brought me to where I am today.

While the focus of our schools will not change, I also want to raise three other priority areas based on my lived experience as someone whose entire life and career has been shaped by this school system.

First, I plan to focus on physical safety and emotional well-being. This is a precursor to learning and is non-negotiable for me as a mom. Every day when I take my child to school, I need to know that he is safe and cared for. With community-based security support through Project Pivotour Safe Access Initiative to lock school entrance doors, and our extensive mental health support, we’re off to the right start. I plan to expand and expand our work in this area to ensure that every school is a safe and supportive environment for every child.

Second, I will strengthen our support for teachers. I’ve been teaching for a long time, and I know that our teachers can only do their best work if they receive the resources and training they deserve. Under the Adams administration, we have already negotiated new labor contracts for teachers, principals and administrators, and our NYC Reads and NYC Solves literacy and math initiatives provide unprecedented levels of on-the-job learning. But I think we can do more to get teacher feedback and continually push professional development providers to meet the unique needs of our schools. The instruction we provide today will benefit students for decades to come as our teachers apply proven approaches to reading and math and improve their skills.

Finally, I will prioritize genuine and effective family-community partnerships. This is near and dear to my heart as the former Deputy Chancellor of our Family and Community Services division. I was proud to watch the launch of our New York reads literacy centers And Family Literacy Ambassadorsand I am eager to continue connecting with our families and channeling their voices in meaningful and innovative ways.

Years ago, sitting on the subway and looking at advertisements for teachers in New York City, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the chancellor of the largest school district in the country. But the values ​​that my mother instilled in me, as well as her support and persistence, brought me to where I am today.

As Chancellor, I am committed to exercising the same tenacity in advocating not only for my daughter, but for all New York City students. Our public schools are and should be places where each of our children can reach their full potential.

Melissa Aviles-Ramos is the Chancellor of New York City Public Schools.