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    COMMUNITY OP-ED                                                     OCTOBER 24, 2025  |      The Indian Eye 12

              All hands on the desk as we serve and

                    deliver for our one million students

                       ERIC ADAMS

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

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