The Trump administration demanded that New York City scrap policies designed to protect transgender students by Tuesday evening or it will discontinue millions in grant funding earmarked for magnet schools.

That would affect about $15 million city officials were expecting from the federal government next fiscal year, which the city has used to support . City officials say they expected $36 million for the remaining duration of the grants. Federal officials said they would not revoke funds that have already been distributed.

If the city doesn鈥檛 change its policies regarding transgender students, 鈥渢he Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights cannot certify they are in compliance with all civil rights laws, and therefore cannot award the magnet school assistance program funding for the next fiscal year,鈥� U.S. Department of Education spokesperson Madison Biedermann wrote in a statement Tuesday morning.

On Sept. 16, federal education officials that they were 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� with policies allowing transgender students to participate in sports and use bathrooms and other facilities in accordance with their gender identity.

On Friday, city officials requested 30 days to consider whether to appeal the Trump administration鈥檚 decision to withhold the grant funding, though federal officials appear to have rejected that request in favor of a Tuesday evening deadline. Biedermann said the tight timeline was because the federal government must certify compliance with civil rights laws before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

The move represents one of the first known threats from the federal government to withhold funding from New York City鈥檚 Education Department in line with its contested interpretation of federal civil rights laws. The Trump administration has mounted an aggressive push to roll back protections for transgender students and has targeted districts in , , and .

Mayor Eric Adams in line with the Trump administration鈥檚 wishes. His comments appear to have opened an unusual rift with schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, who recently said the current rules are consistent with the city鈥檚 values.

Craig Trainor, the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 acting assistant secretary for civil rights, asserted in the Sept. 16 letter that the city鈥檚 policies violate Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination at education institutions that receive federal funding. The letter singled out the magnet school grant program and was sent to at least three school districts, .

Shortly thereafter, Adams in public appearances and interviews, drawing strong rebukes from state education officials and civil rights groups who noted that state law and city guidelines forbid denying access to facilities based on a person鈥檚 gender identity.

Liz Vladeck, the city Education Department鈥檚 top lawyer, requested a month to consider challenging the Trump administration鈥檚 move holding up the grant funding.

In a , she asked the federal Education Department to 鈥減lease explain the nexus between your interpretation of Title IX and the [magnet school] grant funding that is being discontinued.鈥� The letter also asserts that the move 鈥渄eprived the NYCDOE of the procedures and due process required by federal regulations.鈥�

Adams has denied that the funding threat motivated his recent comments about bathroom policies and acknowledged he has little power to directly change them because they are enshrined in state law. But he has held to his position.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what parent of a little girl would be comfortable with a boy walking into the shower where their baby is,鈥� he said in a Monday . 鈥淚鈥檓 just not going to support that.鈥�

A spokesperson for Adams did not respond to a question about what showers the mayor was referring to, or if there were any examples of the city鈥檚 policies for transgender students causing problems in schools.

The Trump administration has in a bid to get him out of the mayoral race to help former Gov. Andrew Cuomo defeat Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and the current frontrunner. A City Hall spokesperson previously denied that Adams鈥� new interest in reconsidering the city鈥檚 policies was related to a potential job in the Trump administration.

Aviles-Ramos, the schools chancellor who was appointed by Adams, has suggested city policies would not change, a rare instance of the schools chief diverging from the mayor鈥檚 messaging.

鈥淭o date, you know, those policies remain in place, and we鈥檙e going to continue to uphold them as part of our values here in New York City Public Schools,鈥� Aviles-Ramos said during a .

City Hall and Education Department spokespeople denied there was any rift between the mayor and chancellor.

鈥淲ithholding funding that benefits all students 鈥� simply because of a specific policy we have no power to change 鈥� is unwarranted and wrong,鈥� Kayla Mamelak Altus, an Adams spokesperson, wrote in a statement.

鈥淲hile Mayor Adams may not agree with every rule or policy, we will always stand up to protect critical resources for our city鈥檚 1 million students. On this issue, the mayor and chancellor are fully aligned: we must follow the law, support our students鈥� identities, and keep them safe at all times.鈥�

City officials did not indicate how they plan to respond to the Trump administration鈥檚 latest demand that they change their policies by Tuesday evening.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

New York City鈥檚 free online therapy platform for teens may violate state and federal laws protecting student data privacy, lawyers from the New York Civil Liberties Union and advocates charged in a letter Tuesday to the city鈥檚 Education and Health Departments.

, a $26 million partnership between the city Health Department and teletherapy giant Talkspace launched in late 2023, connects city residents between ages 13 and 17 with free therapists by text, phone, or video chat.

In less than a year, roughly 16,000 students have signed up, Health Department officials said. Sign-ups disproportionately came from youth who identified as Black, Latino, Asian American and female and live in some of the city鈥檚 lowest-income neighborhoods, .

Information shared with a therapist is subject to stringent protections under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. But before connecting with a therapist through Teenspace, teens go through a registration process that asks for personal information like their name, school, mental health history, and gender identity. Advocates are concerned such information is being improperly collected and could be misused.

For one, teens enter the registration information before securing parental consent 鈥� a possible violation of federal student privacy laws, the letter contends.

And families don鈥檛 get a chance to review the privacy policy 鈥� which discloses that registration information can be used to 鈥渢ailor advertising鈥� and for marketing purposes 鈥� before entering the registration information, advocates allege. There鈥檚 an option for teens to request that their data be deleted from the company鈥檚 platform, but it鈥檚 hard to find, according to advocates.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all very invasive,鈥� said Shannon Edwards, a parent and founder of AI For Families, an organization that seeks to help families navigate artificial intelligence, who co-authored the letter along with NYCLU and the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also very unclear that parents understand what they鈥檙e getting themselves into.鈥�

Advocates also pointed to the risk of a potential data breach 鈥� something the city has in recent years.

Advocates say similar about have been circulating for years and questioned whether city officials did sufficient due diligence or built in enough additional privacy safeguards before inking the contract.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the opacity of the relationship here, and the failure to make manifest what the city is doing to ensure there isn鈥檛 this data accumulation and sharing for inappropriate purposes,鈥� said Beth Haroules, a senior attorney at the NYCLU who co-authored the letter.

Health Department spokesperson Rachel Vick said the agency has 鈥渢aken additional steps to protect the data of Teenspace users and ensure information is not collected for personal gain, including stipulations that require all client data to remain confidential during and after the completion of the city鈥檚 contract and barring use of data for any purpose other than providing the services included in the contract.鈥�

Client data is destroyed after 30 days if a teen doesn鈥檛 connect with a therapist, officials said.

A spokesperson for Talkspace referred questions to the Health Department.

The extent to which Teenspace is subject to state and federal laws governing student privacy in educational settings is somewhat murky, given that the contract is with the city鈥檚 Health Department, not its Education Department.

But NYCLU attorneys contend 鈥渢he City cannot absolve itself of its responsibility to provide the protections inherent in federal and state laws鈥imply because the contract sits with DOHMH instead of DOE. The service is promoted on public school websites, and it is DOE鈥檚 responsibility to ensure that student data is protected, regardless of which City agency signs the contract.鈥�

Parents may be more inclined to trust the platform because it has a 鈥渟tamp of approval鈥� from the school system, Edwards added.

A Health Department spokesperson didn鈥檛 specify whether the program is subject to education privacy laws, but said it鈥檚 鈥渘ot a school based service.鈥�

Teenspace has been the city鈥檚 highest-profile effort to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis.

鈥淲e are meeting people where they are with a front door to the mental health system that for too long has been too hard to find,鈥� said Ashwin Vasan, the city鈥檚 health commissioner, in May.

Some teens have praised the program, noting it鈥檚 a way to bring mental health care to young people who may not otherwise have access.

But some mental health providers have argued it can鈥檛 replace the kind of intensive care a clinician provides, especially for kids with severe mental health challenges.

Company officials shared in May that they had helped 36 teens navigate serious incidents including reports of suicide attempts and abuse 鈥� cases they referred to child protective services, in-person therapists, or hospitals.

Talkspace CEO Jon Cohen previously told Chalkbeat the company uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to scan transcripts of therapy sessions to help identify teens at risk of suicide.

Even advocates critical of Teenspace鈥檚 privacy protections acknowledge the severe shortage of mental health providers and say teletherapy can play a role in filling the gap.

鈥淲e know you cannot find providers 鈥� there is such a need,鈥� said Haroules. But advocates said the city can do more to ensure its vendors are meeting strict standards for data privacy, especially with such sensitive information.

鈥淓veryone thinks, well, mental health is important for kids, these kids of services are required 鈥� when on the other side is: 鈥楬ow are they getting to it?鈥欌�� said Edwards. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter what the app is, there has to be a standard.鈥�

This was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

Sign up for to keep up with NYC鈥檚 public schools.

Sweeping changes to literacy instruction are underway in New York City, with all elementary schools for the first time using this September.

By requiring instruction in line with long-standing research about how children learn to read, known as the , the city is hoping to boost its literacy rates. Just under half of students in grades 3-8 , according to state exams.

After Chancellor David Banks took the helm of the nation鈥檚 school district more than two years ago, he said the city鈥檚 approach to reading instruction and has since made the curriculum overhaul his signature initiative. His other policies, , pale in comparison to fixing reading instruction.

鈥淣one of that will even matter if kids can鈥檛 read,鈥� he said.

But what do the new curriculums look like? How do caregivers know if they鈥檙e working? And what should you do if your child continues to struggle?

Here are answers to some common questions caregivers may have about the changes, based on interviews with reading experts and educators.

How were schools teaching reading before?

Stretching back decades, the Education Department developed by Teachers College professor Lucy Calkins, which viewed reading as a natural process that could be unlocked by exposing students to literature. Teachers delivered mini-lessons on a specific skill then encouraged students to read books at their individual levels to practice what they learned.

But most reading experts say the approach did not include enough emphasis on teaching children the relationships between letters and sounds, known as phonics, leaving behind a substantial share of students who would benefit from more explicit sound-it-out lessons.

Calkins鈥� curriculum also , such as encouraging students to use pictures to guess at a word鈥檚 meaning rather than relying on the letters themselves. Though she has since on phonics, the city鈥檚 public schools will no longer be allowed to use her program.

What is the philosophy behind the literacy shift?

All schools are now required to deliver regular phonics instruction that explicitly teaches the relationship between sounds and letters. Those lessons, which are prioritized , typically run about 30 minutes a day.

In addition to those lessons, schools must also use one of three approved reading programs that are designed to help build vocabulary and comprehension by exposing students to social studies and science topics alongside works of literature and poetry. that students are more likely to understand what they鈥檙e reading if they鈥檙e already familiar with the underlying topic. The new curriculums are designed to build students鈥� background knowledge across a range of domains.

鈥淵ou should, as a parent, ask your kid about the books that they鈥檙e reading and be prepared to hear an earful from your child about how they read about Jacques Cousteau and the discovery of the giant squid 鈥� or to know a whole lot about pollinators,鈥� said Kristen McQuillan, who consults with districts on literacy efforts and is affiliated with the Knowledge Matters Campaign, which raises awareness about the role of background knowledge in reading comprehension. Students should be bringing home writing about those books, too, she added.

Under the old curriculums, students often picked books that interested them from the classroom library that were targeted at their individual reading levels. Although the city is moving away from that leveling system 鈥� and instead having kids spend more time reading common books as a class 鈥� the practice may continue to some degree. Teachers will still have access to those leveled books, though they have been asked to organize them by topic or genre. Into Reading, the most widespread curriculum under the new mandate, also offers its own set of leveled books that schools can use.

What are the three new curriculums and which one is my school using?

The curriculum rollout began during the 2023-24 school year with 15 of the city鈥檚 32 local school districts required to use one of the three reading programs: Into Reading from the company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Wit and Wisdom from Great Minds; and EL Education from Imagine Learning.

Beginning this September, all elementary schools must use one of those three programs, with local superintendents in charge of making curriculum decisions for all schools in their district. Here鈥檚 what each district is using:

What do the three new reading curriculums look like?

Into Reading from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Into Reading is . Schools in 22 of New York City鈥檚 32 local districts must use it. The most traditional of the three curriculums, Into Reading is organized as an anthology-style textbook packed with passages specifically designed to help teach reading skills, an approach known in education jargon as a 鈥渂asal reader.鈥� Some caregivers may be familiar with the approach from .

Unlike the other two curriculums, Into Reading includes a Spanish-language version. And it covers a lot of ground, with roughly that include how plants live and grow, the relationship between sports and teamwork, and how a person鈥檚 experiences shape their identity. Some educators say that breadth can be helpful since students may be more likely to encounter subjects that pique their curiosity.

Kate Gutwillig, a veteran New York City educator who has taught all three of the mandated curriculums, recalled one instance where a fifth grader who was reading at a second-grade level was captivated by an Into Reading lesson on Greek mythology.

鈥淗e was able to read the Medusa myth and that kid just came to life 鈥� he wanted to read aloud and write,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something good about having a lot of variety.鈥�

Still, Into Reading has earned criticism from some observers, parents, and educators who contend that it is weaker than the other two curriculums because it , and relies too heavily . A New York University report also warned that its materials are not culturally responsive, a claim the company .

Wit & Wisdom from Great Minds

Wit & Wisdom is known for building students鈥� background knowledge by going deeper into a smaller number of units. The curriculum includes 鈥� ranging from civil rights heroes to a study of outer space 鈥� devoting about 6-8 weeks per topic.

The curriculum exposes students to a mix of fiction and nonfiction texts. It also stands apart for including a 鈥渃lose examination of artwork related to the core topics,鈥� .

鈥淵ou tend to see a bit more of that literary fiction,鈥� said McQuillan. One fourth grade unit called 鈥渢he great heart鈥� introduces students to the biology of the heart as muscle that pumps blood while weaving in the figurative meaning of the heart as a representation of emotion and love.

Some educators say adapting to Wit & Wisdom is challenging. The lessons can be lengthy, requiring teachers to figure out how to cut it down to be more manageable. And, as with all three curriculums, students are generally expected to read the same books on their grade level as a class, a challenge for students who don鈥檛 yet have strong reading skills.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 our biggest struggle,鈥� one teacher who was implementing Wit & Wisdom previously told Chalkbeat. 鈥淲e鈥檙e coming in assuming that the kids have the skills to do this.鈥� (If you鈥檙e interested in a deeper look at Wit & Wisdom, .)

EL Education from Imagine Learning

Similar to Wit & Wisdom, EL Education deploys a handful of units each year that students spend several weeks unpacking. Formerly called Expeditionary Learning, the curriculum and includes lots of opportunities to write. Two kindergarten units , for instance, and a significant chunk of second grade is devoted to pollination.

The emphasis on exploring the outside world, McQuillan said, 鈥渢ends to be a feature of EL that kids get excited about.鈥�

Janina Jarnich, who teaches second grade at P.S. 169 Baychester Academy in the Bronx, that one of her favorite lessons to teach focuses on paleontology and fossilization.

鈥淏y the end of the module, they write a narrative where they are the paleontologist that makes the greatest discovery of their lives,鈥� she said. The lesson 鈥渓ends itself to lots of hands-on experiences, like making imprints and doing a 鈥榙inosaur dig.鈥欌�� She also takes her students on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History.

Some educators noted that the curriculum can be overwhelming 鈥� an issue that some teachers said is true of many curriculum packages.

鈥淭he weakness is the difficulty of navigating all of the materials,鈥� Jarnich said. 鈥淓ven after using EL for four years, it can still be tricky to find the end-of-unit assessments and to make sure you have all of the materials necessary for each lesson.鈥�

Are there any exceptions to the new curriculum mandate?

So far, only , a K-8 gifted and talented program. However, some other school communities .

Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, .

How do I know if the new curriculum is working for my child?

Schools are expected to screen students three times a year to assess their reading skills. Caregivers can find the results of those assessments in their , which indicate or needs more support to be performing at grade level. (These screeners are supposed to replace that assigned students a reading level from A-Z.)

Multiple experts said teachers are generally also doing more regular assessments on top of that, so it鈥檚 a good idea to get in touch with them if you have any concerns.

鈥淭he answer is: ask the teachers,鈥� said Susan Neuman, a literacy expert at New York University. They should have a sense of whether a student needs extra help based on a range of assessments beyond the screeners, she added.

What should I do if I鈥檓 concerned about my child鈥檚 progress?

Experts said caregivers should reach out to their child鈥檚 school if they suspect their child is behind in reading or if their screener results suggest they are below grade level.

鈥淎 plan needs to be put in place, so parents do need to serve as their child鈥檚 advocate,鈥� said Katie Pace Miles, a literacy expert at Brooklyn College who . 鈥淚 would ask about what skills can be reinforced at home, and what materials can be provided to the caregivers.鈥�

She said parents should ask their schools to outline whether they are offering their child extra small-group or one-on-one instruction, how many days a week it鈥檚 offered, and how long each session is.

鈥淧arents should not be left in the dark,鈥� Miles said. If a student continues to struggle despite efforts to provide extra help, caregivers may want to ask for more detailed assessments of their child and potentially request a special education evaluation, she said.

This was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at . Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Mayor Eric Adams poured cold water Tuesday on an imminent citywide school cellphone ban, citing a number of remaining obstacles and saying the city is 鈥渘ot there yet.鈥�

鈥淭here will be some action in the upcoming school year, but the extent of a full ban, we鈥檙e not there yet. We want to make sure we have parents on board,鈥� Adams said at a press briefing Tuesday in response to a question from Chalkbeat.

鈥淭he previous administration attempted to do this, and they had to roll back,鈥� Adams added, referencing a previous cellphone ban instituted by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, then overturned by his successor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to go backwards after we make a determination.鈥�

Adams鈥� comments significantly dial back the message that schools Chancellor David Banks offered just months ago about the likelihood of a citywide school cellphone ban.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to hear, within the next two weeks, the big announcement, but I will tell you we are very much leaning towards banning cellphones,鈥� on June 26.

But with just over a week before the start of the new school year, city officials haven鈥檛 shared any updates, leaving many parents and school staffers craving details. Adams said the city is still ironing out a number of the .

鈥淥nce you use 鈥� the terminology that it is a full ban coming from the chancellor, there鈥檚 a lot of things that will kick into play, including [United Federation of Teachers],鈥� Adams said Tuesday. 鈥淲ho pays for the pouches? What mechanism is being used? So we鈥檝e been doing a lot of reviews.鈥�

Some educators and advocates have also about if and how the Education Department will offer schools guidance on discipline for students who don鈥檛 comply.

Several principals familiar with Education Department plans that education officials were floating a plan to have a ban take effect in February, though it鈥檚 unclear whether that timeline is still under consideration.

States and districts across the country have moved towards mandating cellphone bans amid rising concerns about their role in distracting students during class and harming kids鈥� mental health. New York governor Kathy Hochul is also and is currently soliciting input.

Los Angeles, the nation鈥檚 second largest school system, with a district-wide school cellphone ban.

Hundreds of New York City schools already have their own cellphone bans. Many use Yondr, a company that produces magnetized cloth pouches that can be locked and unlocked by schools for students to store cellphones during the school day. But such systems can be expensive, and one of the big open questions about a citywide cellphone ban is whether the city would provide extra funding to schools to help collect phones.

Many other city schools that historically have not fully banned phones are moving towards adopting their own cell phone-free policies, but enforcing those policies comes with significant logistical challenges and staffing needs.

Passing a systemwide school cell phone ban would also require changing the chancellor鈥檚 regulations, which would need approval from the Panel for Educational Policy, according to a source familiar with the deliberations.

Adams said the city is trying to learn from the approaches of city schools that have their own cellphone bans and are enforcing them effectively.

鈥淲e鈥檙e learning from those who are already doing it,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淲e do have schools in the city that are doing it on their own, and so we want to make sure we get it right.鈥�

Julian Shen-Berro contributed.

Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Michael at melsen-rooney@chalkbeat.org.

This was originally published by . Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

Banks is the founding principal of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, an all-boys college preparatory school he established in the Bronx in 2004 to improve the graduation rates and outcomes of students of color. He is now the president and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation, which supports the public school network since grown to six schools, one in every borough and another in Newark, New Jersey. 

Banks accepted the chancellor appointment, considered the second-most consequential education job in the country after U.S. education secretary, while standing in front of his own elementary school in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. 

鈥淚’m deeply humbled to have the opportunity to lead the school system that shaped who I am today,鈥� he said on Twitter. 鈥淭o every parent, student, educator, school administrator, support staff member, educational partner, I see you.鈥�

Banks鈥檚 selection appears to represent a clear shift away from the educational philosophy of outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was closely aligned with the United Federation of Teachers for much of his two terms and who was antagonistic toward charter schools. In contrast, both Adams and Banks have expressed support for charters, which are public schools that are independently run and typically non-union.

Through a spokesperson, Eva Moskowitz, an outspoken de Blasio foe who runs the high-performing Success Academy charter school network, said, 鈥淒avid cares deeply about kids and educators, and will stop at nothing to ensure children have great schools, whatever form that takes, district or charter.”

Banks chose Daniel Weisberg, who frequently battled with the teachers union as a labor strategist under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as his first deputy. His appointment could send a signal that the new administration might be eager to root out lackluster teachers and ineffective administrators.

Chris Cerf, who also served in the Bloomberg administration as a DOE deputy chancellor, called Banks “the right choice for this historic moment鈥� Thursday, saying he understands the byzantine nature of the department. But there is another, perhaps even more important reason Cerf believes Banks is ideal for the post, he said. 

鈥淚f you know David, you know he really deeply believes 鈥� in the core purpose of public education, to do everything we can to ensure every child, regardless of birth circumstances or demographics, is given an equal opportunity to succeed in life,鈥� said Cerf, a former New Jersey state education commissioner and Newark schools superintendent. 鈥淗e understands the urgency of that, the steepness and the mountain that still needs to be climbed.鈥�

Paula White, executive director of Educators for Excellence New York, a teacher advocacy group, was also excited by Banks鈥檚 appointment. 

鈥淲hen you look at the trajectory of his career, it’s clear he has been an advocate for underserved children and that he has also been a little ahead of his time in terms of really a focus on a holistic notion of what it means to educate Black and brown students well,鈥� White said. 

She said many educators in recent years have fallen into one of two camps: The first acknowledges that Black and brown children often face adversity and pledges to both provide them with social-emotional support and adjust their expectation of these students. 

The second, no-nonsense camp, she said, employs a more regimented approach and leaves students on their own in addressing their challenges. Banks does not fit into either category, she said. 

“With the Eagle Academy, you saw a much more nuanced way of thinking about that,鈥� White said, adding it held onto the rigor while also fostering students鈥� own sense of agency. “Him having done that at a time when there wasn鈥檛 much of a messy middle speaks to who he is 鈥� and is very encouraging.”

Banks鈥檚 appointment comes after nearly two years of pandemic-related turmoil, including much back and forth with union leaders about school re-openings and mask and vaccine mandates 鈥� and a massive drop in enrollment as some families moved from the district, placed their children in private schools or opted for homeschooling.

Adams, in a Tweet, spoke of upcoming change, though he has been tight-lipped about firm plans, saying only, 鈥淩ight now, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine our education system to fix the entrenched inequalities that hold too many children back.鈥�

City schools are struggling with narrowing the achievement and opportunity gaps, both made worse by the ongoing pandemic with poor children, students of color, English learners and disabled students facing the greatest challenges. 

Adding to a long list of woes, more than 101,000 New York City school children during the 2020-21 school year, marking a 42 percent increase since the start of the decade, according to Advocates for Children of New York.

Cerf believes Banks will focus on providing students with at least some career training, critical to their success later in life: One of his key goals is to expand opportunities for children who otherwise might be stuck in poverty.

鈥淗e very much understands that by the time a child gets to kindergarten, there is a lot that has already been established in terms of that child鈥檚 ultimate learning trajectory,鈥� Cerf said. And he鈥檒l care, too, about what parents want for their kids. At Thursday鈥檚 press conference, Banks pledged to never make a major decision without community support. 

Brooklyn mother Natasha Capers has been the director of the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice for seven years. Capers, who opposed school closures carried out by the Bloomberg administration, called Banks鈥檚 appointment a historic moment, noting this is the first time a Black New York City mayor has appointed a Black chancellor.

Capers said she believes Banks will further the Department of Education鈥檚 recent mission to move toward equity, citing its announcement earlier this year that it would create . 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really big,鈥� she said, adding that it aligns with Banks鈥檚 values and experience and the tactics he employed at Eagle Academy. 鈥淲e have someone at the helm who can say, 鈥榊es, I know this type of approach works.鈥欌�� 

Banks recently collaborated with Scholastic to curate the a collection of books for K-5 students featuring inspiring narratives and protagonists who are young men of color. 

鈥淚 know how the literature of writers and great leaders of color like Frederick Douglass, Paul Robeson, Phillis Wheatley and Malcolm X impacted my life,鈥� Banks wrote in a 2020 essay for 社区黑料. 鈥淎s a young man, I was forever changed by their scintillating prose, their brash, daring ideas, and the fact that these men and women wrote about people like me and shared dimensions of my experience as an African American,. All students deserve access to diverse literature, and I have sought to provide that throughout my time as an educator.鈥�

Banks called the Rising Voices Library a 鈥渓andmark in the movement for culturally relevant curricula.鈥� That movement is now under siege in many U.S. schools with battles erupting over diversity and inclusion and how race and history are taught.

Banks will replace Meisha Ross Porter, who once worked for him in the Bronx and became the first Black woman to lead New York City public schools. Porter, a product of the school system she came to oversee, was named chancellor after Richard A. Carranza left the post in March 2021.

In a brief statement, Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said Banks cares deeply about children. 

“We have worked well with David in the past, and we look forward to continuing that relationship as he takes on the challenge of running 1,600 schools still suffering from the effects of the pandemic,” Mulgrew said.

Nicole Brennan, a teacher for 15 years in Queens, said she didn鈥檛 know enough about Banks to determine whether he could help her second-graders. She鈥檚 not sure how to turn around schools after the damage done by the pandemic, only that she needs more time with her students 鈥� and far less paperwork.

鈥淚t seems like every few years 鈥� there are different mandates, responsibilities added to our plate, yet we are never given the time to do them,鈥� she said. “I鈥檝e seen things come and go and come back again with the same thing labeled a different way every couple of years. At this point, our older, veteran teachers just nod and smile and try to do what is best for the student.”