Tuesday morning, NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks held the 2024-25 ‘State of Our Schools’ address at the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts High School in Queens. After students performed a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Saturn,” Banks shared what he accomplished so far during his role as chancellor and announced several new initiatives coming down the pipeline. Here’s everything you need to know:
Looking back
Banks opened his speech by acknowledging many of the complex issues that plague our world today and the need to not just school our children, but educate them. “Schooling is simply going through the motions. It’s compliance work, while education is transformative. It prepares kids to think critically about everything that is going on around them.”
He went on to say that his office has been transforming schools since the pandemic and that we can’t go back to how things were- we need building blocks in place to set students up for success. Here’s some of the ways he said they have done this so far:
Literacy & Math
- Unprecedented rollout of reading and math curriculum: NYC Reads & NYC Solves
- Created 20 literacy hubs and trained parents to become NYC Literacy Ambassadors
Mental Health & Safety
- Free teletherapy for teens (Teenspace)
- Onsite mental health support
- Door locking initiative
- Project Pivot
Inclusivity & special needs
- Newly created Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning (DIAL)
- Gold standard dual language classes and specialized autism programs
- Dramatic increase in utilization of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE)
- Project Open Arms, which has welcomed 45,000 new New Yorkers
- State of the art facilities and fields
College & career pathways programs
- Invested over $30 million dollars in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program
- Saved $70 million dollars in tuition and reduced time to complete degree via CUNY programs
- Students earned over $8 million dollars from paid work experiences via apprenticeships
Looking forward
Overall, Banks said that there’s still lots of work to do and they aren’t simply after a quick uptick in scores. The goal is to lay a foundation and for all students to be on grade level by the end of third grade. But it’s not just about fundamentals. He wants older students to see the relevance of their studies and graduate high school with not just a diploma- but a real shot at achieving the American dream. Here are some things you can expect:
Future Ready program
- 135 schools to serve at least 15,000 students in the Future Ready program, which has been expanded to include social work and decarbonization.
- Mt. Sinai has also joined as the newest partner
- Financial literacy will be a mandatory course for all Future Ready schools
Virtual & accelerated coursework options
- Option for accelerated virtual coursework
- Opening three accelerated high schools in underserved neighborhoods
New programs
- HBCU Early College Prep will be the first of its kind in any metro school district. Students will earn an associate’s degree from Delaware University while immersed in the history and culture of HBCU via college visits, study abroad, and research opportunities
- The Bronx STEAM Center will serve over ten schools in partnership with Montefiore Medical Center
- Northwell School of Health Sciences will be one of the most sought-after schools in NYC thanks to a $25 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the largest grant in the history of NYC Public Schools
Civic education and engagement
Banks also took the time to address the importance of transformative education, saying that school communities must confront the issues of today. In this effort, NYC Schools has:
- Expanded the Civics for All curriculum to 30 districts
- Created the Meeting the Moment Initiative to combat anti-semitism and Islamophobia
- Every school is required to designate a Respect For All liaison
- Continuation of the Hidden Voices series
- Continuation of Climate Action Days
- Student-led voter activation- 85,000 voters have already been registered to vote
- Pilot with the Carnegie Foundation training teachers on uplifting voices and engaging in civic discourse so that classrooms can be spaces where students discuss the complexities of the day
Technology and AI
Banks then spent some time speaking about how AI is already responsible for shaping our workforce and it is our obligation to our children to equip them with new skill sets and harness its potential. Banks said he’d like to see NYC Schools use AI to:
- Understand student performance through authentic assessments
- Personalize learning- provide teachers and families with personalized learning plans for every child and offer supplemental instructions
- Lead students to opportunity through college and career advisement which could be customized for individual students
- Help guidance, college and career counselors
The chancellor used this time to share that he will begin an AI advisor council. He then reiterated that AI can not replace the power of a great teacher, counselor, or principal, but it can help elevate their work and improve student outcomes in the process. [AI can] revolutionize how we function as a school system- transportation, enrollment, hiring. It can save time and money, which will ultimately free up more resources for our schools.”
Watch the full State of Our Schools address here.
To see more of our education stories, go here.
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