I always feel that September, not Jan. 1, is when the new year really begins. That is when our great team of teachers, principals, and support staff across all five boroughs welcomes our children back after the summer, and for the next 180 school days, it’s all hands on deck as we serve our nearly 1 million students. I know how much school matters and have personally experienced some of the challenges that our young people face.
I have dyslexia and struggled to read as a child. My mother worked three jobs just to make ends meet and make sure my siblings and I had a roof over our heads. And, yet, when I got the right help, I was able to change course and, today, I am mayor of the greatest city in the world. Our public school system made me who I am — it allowed me to fulfill my talents and dreams, and I want every child who attends our public schools to have the same opportunity. That is why, from day one, our administration has been committed to a 360-degree approach to education.
Our approach takes into account the whole child and their life, both in and outside the classroom, from birth until after they graduate. That is why we instituted universal dyslexia screenings so that, for the first time in New York City public-school history, students can get the help they need early on. It’s also why we expanded early childhood education, which has reached a record 150,000 children across our system — because we know that young families need a safe space for their children and that children learn better when they are given these opportunities from birth. It is why we expanded enrollment for our Summer Youth Employment Program and Summer Rising — to give students a place to learn and grow over the summer. And it is the reason our administration created universal after-school programming and expanded FutureReadyNYC, so that all children have the opportunity to engage in extra-curricular activities, get work experience, and prepare for work or college even after the school bell rings at the end of the day.
Our commitment to nurturing the potential of every student is also why we revamped our math and reading curricula. NYC Solves is a teaching method based on extensive research and NYC Reads brings students back to the tried-and-true method of phonics. I don’t want any child to struggle with basic skills the way I did.
These curricula changes have led to substantial increases in reading and math scores for students in grades 3-8. Our rates are higher than those of New York state in both math and English language arts and reflect the highest percentage of students meeting proficiency standards as set by the New York state Education Department since 2012.
But it’s not just about grades. We are focused on the experience of each individual child who now has the confidence to raise their hand in class and no longer hates to go to school, as I once did. Maybe that is why we now have the lowest proportion of chronically absent students in four years.
Additionally, our administration has added 57 Gifted and Talented programs to the system to serve our accelerated learners and opened seven new schools for the 2025-2026 school year alone, including the HBCU Early College Prep High School — the first-of-its kind in New York City.
Moreover, we have helped over 15,000 students secure $25 million in work-based learning through FutureReadyNYC, cemented new labor contracts for our teachers and school administrative staff, and invested $180 million to implement a comprehensive class size reduction plan — so that each child receives individualized attention.
None of this has happened in a vacuum. It requires inspired teachers, dedicated support staff, and steady leadership, including that of Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. Born and raised in the Bronx to a single mother, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos also knows what it’s like to leap over hurdles. She is the first in her family to graduate from high school and the first in her family to attend college. Last month, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos hosted her first State of the Schools address, highlighting an expansion to NYCPS Cares, a suite of signature initiatives to address systemic inequities in schools, new systems of support for literacy development, a new four-part framework for artificial intelligence, and more.
If a girl from the Bronx can lead the nation’s largest public school system, and a boy who was ashamed to read in class can become mayor of New York City, then anything is possible in this city — and our great public schools are here to help all our students realize their full potential.
