Newsletter - NYC Public Schools Plus You

A Real-Life Lesson in Civic Engagement

Dear Families and Colleagues,

With the 2024 election approaching next week, I’ve been reflecting on the meaning of this moment for our schools and students.  While national politics have often been contentious and divisive, the election is also a real-time, real-life opportunity for our students to witness democracy in action—and to both study and participate in it.

I recently read this article that highlights how classrooms across the country are teaching their children about the election (it features our very own East Bronx Academy for the Future!). Now more than ever, it is critical that we teach our students to understand and appreciate our democratic processes—to distinguish fact from fiction, as well as to engage in respectful dialogue even in the face of disagreement.

For that reason, I’m incredibly proud of Civics For All, our citywide civic engagement initiative. Since the launch of Civics for All in 2019, we have pre-registered and registered over 85,000 new voters. We’ve provided voter activation materials to all high schools and equipped our teachers with resources to talk about the election and other current events. Earlier this month, we also held a citywide day of learning for our Student Voter Activation Team, made up of 75 high schoolers who will serve as “get out the vote” ambassadors in their school communities.

Regardless of the results of any election, I feel confident that our students are empowered and prepared to become leaders of the next generation. I want to thank all our educators and families who are modeling active, meaningful democratic participation for our students.

One more thing—as I shared in this newsletter last week, we'll be doing a refresh of PS + You to launch next month. If you haven’t already, please give us your feedback, so we can ensure this newsletter reflects the amazing work happening in our school communities.

In partnership,

Chancellor

A New Direction for PS + You

October 25, 2024

Dear Families and Colleagues,

I’m thrilled and honored to be your new Chancellor. In my first few days in the role, I’ve had the opportunity to visit schools across the five boroughs, engage with families and staff, and share my story and vision for NYC Public Schools with our communities. It’s been a whirlwind!

In less than two weeks, I’ve seen a community school in the Bronx; an early childhood center in Brooklyn; a Nest program in Manhattan; an Adult Learning Center in Queens; and two Staten Island schools, one engaged in NYC Reads and the other in NYC Solves. These visits have been a true joy, and they’ve underscored for me the incredible diversity and breadth of our school system. I invite you to follow us online at X, Facebook, and Instagram to see pictures and videos from these visits.

No matter your age, interests, or learning style, there is truly something for everyone at NYC Public Schools, and that’s something I’d like to highlight going forward in this newsletter. To that end, we’ll be rethinking PS + You over the next few weeks, with a fresh format and focus starting next month. In the meantime, I encourage you to share your feedback with us here, so we can ensure this newsletter reflects the amazing work happening in our school communities. I look forward to reviewing your input and ideas.

In partnership,

Chancellor

Thank You

October 11, 2024

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. 

David C. Banks

Chancellor

Updates to Middle and High School Enrollment

September 27, 2024

Dear Families and Staff,

This week, we announced some updates and improvements to help each family make the best decisions for their child’s future.

First, we are launching a new feature in MySchools this fall that will help our rising high school students better understand their chance of receiving an offer to any particular program, based on the applicant’s admissions characteristics such as their report card grades, location, and priority group. With this information, families can make more informed decisions about how to rank their enrollment options and build a balanced application. 

Additionally, this year students and families will have increased access to middle school options, because they will now be able to apply to any middle school across the city. While schools will maintain their priority for their home zone and/or district, schools with available seats will now be able to accept out-of-district students. 

And lastly, we are updating all admissions applications to allow students to list as many program options as they’d like, up from a maximum of 12. This gives families an even greater opportunity to find a match that’s the right fit for their child. 

Ultimately, these changes are about expanding access to all the excellent and innovative educational opportunities we have to offer. From our dual language classes to our career and technical education high schools, from arts programs to STEM programs and so much more, I truly believe, as I said at the beginning of this newsletter, that there is something for everyone here at NYCPS.

David C. Banks

Chancellor

Launching the 2024-2025 School Year

September 13, 2024

Dear Families and Staff,

The 2024-2025 school year has officially begun! The first day of school is always one of the most exciting days of the year, and September 5th did not disappoint.

I started the day at PS 257 in Brooklyn, where the school's championship-winning ballet troupe greeted Mayor Adams and me. The schoolyard was full of excited families, students, and staff taking pictures amid the balloons and decorations—it was one of the most high-energy school openings I’ve ever seen.  

Later in the day, I visited an early childhood program at PS 28 in Upper Manhattan and Motion Picture Technical High School in Queens, a brand-new high school focused on film and television careers. Spending time with some of our youngest and oldest learners felt perfectly aligned to our mission: to build bright starts and bold futures for every child.

Bright starts begin with literacy and numeracy. I’m beyond thrilled that NYC Reads is now active in every early childhood and K-5 classroom citywide, and that we’ve launched NYC Solves in over 400 high schools and approximately 100 middle schools. We are transforming the ways we teach both reading and math, ensuring our kids master the fundamental skills for success in school and life.

We are also building bold futures through our college and career pathways expansion in high-demand fields like the green economy, technology, and healthcare. This year, our signature FutureReadyNYC initiative will grow to 135 schools. And with the creation of the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning, we are ensuring all students, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners, are supported to reach their full potential and embark on a bold future.

This time of year is filled with so much hope and optimism; as I said last week at PS 257, the first day of school represents a “rebirth of our school system.” Let's keep that sense of promise alive throughout the coming months!

David C. Banks

Chancellor

Get Ready for Back-to-School 2024

August 23, 2024

• Create your New York City Schools Account (NYCSA); it’s how we’ll get in touch with you throughout the year with critical announcements. If you already have a NYCSA account, check to confirm your contact information is accurate.
• Make sure you’ve submitted all required health forms and that your child is up-to-date on immunizations. Learn more about these health forms—and why they matter—here.
• Check your child’s transportation options and eligibility. You can also learn more about Student OMNY Cards, which are replacing Student MetroCards and offer more free rides and greater flexibility. OMNY Cards can be used four times daily, at any time, 365 days a year—that means free rides on weekends, holidays, and during the summer. Now, students have every reason to tap and take transit!
• Follow us at @nycschools on social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) and check out our blog, The Morning Bell. We’ll be posting lots of exciting updates in the first few weeks of school (and throughout the year), highlighting important information, opportunities for students, and stories that showcase all the great work happening in our schools.

David C. Banks

Chancellor