Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David C. Banks introduced the 45 new and returning NYC public schools district superintendents — saying they would help “reimagine” education in the city.
“It is my honor to introduce today the educational leaders on my team that will work every day to reimagine our public schools,” said Banks during a June 27 press conference.
Each superintendent will engage in a “Listening and Learning” tour of their districts this summer, as they seek advice from school leaders, parents and students in an effort to better understand the needs and desires of their schools to promote learning growth.
“We promised our students bold action, and each of these leaders is prepared to step into this newly re-imagined role of superintendent to deliver on that promise,” Banks continued. “For families and community partners, each of these leaders understands that they will be held accountable for partnering with you to meet the needs of your community and improve the school experience of our students.”
The superintendents will officially begin their roles on July 1, and are tasked with implementing Chancellor Banks’ bold vision for transforming and building trust in New York City public schools.
This goal aims to shift the traditional roles and responsibilities of superintendents, making sure each one prioritizes making their schools feel welcoming and safe. With this vision superintendents will now be tasked with improving student outcomes, while also reexamining their individual learning experiences.
Superintendents will also now be responsible for ensuring each student feels fully supported by their school — meaning that school-related communications will go home in families’ home languages, issues with transportation will be addressed, services for students with disabilities and multilingual learners will be put in place, counseling will be available when needed and other support measures will be implemented.
“For the first time, the process of selecting district superintendents has involved constant input from parents, giving them the opportunity to hear from candidates, ask questions, and provide feedback on who should be the superintendent for their community,” said Adams.
“These superintendents are committed to the communities they serve: To children, their parents, and families and teachers. From the start, we vowed to ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New York City families and this is just the beginning. We have much more in store for our children and families to transform our education system and deliver the best results for our young New Yorkers who depend on us.”
For more coverage of Eric Adams and the city’s school system, head to amNY.com.
Adams expressed optimism for New York schools under this new program, saying he believed this approach will help children have access to many future opportunities.
“This is a new day for our school system,” said the mayor. “It is all going to start with our belief. I believe in this chancellor, I believe in the 45 men and women that he has brought together to be the leadership in all of our superintendent districts. This is our opportunity to muster all of our resources to place our schools on the right pathway.”
