Long before I was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams to be chancellor of New York City Public Schools, I was the third child of a single mother from Puerto Rico. Growing up in the Bronx in the 1980s, my family experienced what so many families in our city have gone through: unstable housing, lack of opportunity in our borough, and most distressingly for my mother, schools that were chronically failing their students.
At the time, my mother watched as her first two children attended public schools that seemed more like places to babysit young people than places that develop future leaders. So she worked tirelessly, taking on extra jobs and sacrificing in ways large and small, to be able to send me to a private Catholic school. She fought tenaciously for my future, and thanks to her love and support, I became the first in my family to graduate from both high school and college.
Not long after, as a new alumna of Fordham University, I was riding the subway one day when I saw an ad for the New York City Teaching Fellows program. At that moment, it all clicked. That subway ride marked the start of my teaching career and my life’s work – to ensure no parent has to make the impossible choices my mom did, to ensure that any mother can confidently enroll her daughter in the local public school, knowing she will be safe, she will receive an excellent education, and she will be prepared to take on the world.
Today, I am that mother; I’m the proud parent of a New York City public school student.
Over the last few decades, a lot has changed in our public schools, and I’ve witnessed and helped drive these changes firsthand — as a teacher, principal, deputy superintendent, and most recently, as a deputy chancellor.
Earlier this month, I became chancellor, and my work is focused on making sure every New York City parent’s first choice is a public school.
To do that, I will double down on the initiatives started under Mayor Adams and Chancellor David Banks. I believe deeply in the work we’ve begun — from NYC Reads and NYC Solves to our reimagined Student Pathways — and I plan to see these priorities through. Our schools must provide every student with a solid foundation in reading and math and prepare them for well-paying jobs.
The values my mother instilled in me — and her support and persistence — got me where I am today.
And while our schools’ focus will not change, I also want to uplift three more priority areas based on my lived experiences, as someone whose entire life and career has been shaped by this school system.
First, I plan to focus on physical safety and emotional wellness. This is a precursor for learning and non-negotiable for me as a mom. When I drop off my child at school each day, I need to know she is safe and cared for. Through community-based safety support through Project Pivot, our Safer Access Initiative to lock the front doors of schools, and our extensive mental health supports, we are off to the right start. I plan to extend and expand our work in this area so that every school is the safe and nurturing environment it must be for every child.
Second, I will strengthen our support for teachers. I’m a longtime educator, and I know that our teachers can only do their best work if they receive the resources and training they deserve. Already, under the Adams administration, we have cemented new labor contracts for teachers, principals, and administrators, and our literacy and math initiatives NYC Reads and NYC Solves are providing unprecedented levels of on-the-job coaching. But I think there is even more we can do to solicit teacher feedback and continuously push professional development providers to meet the unique needs of our schools. The training we provide today will benefit students for decades, as our educators embrace proven approaches to reading and math and grow in their skills.
Finally, I will prioritize genuine and impactful family and community partnerships. This is near and dear to my heart as the former deputy chancellor of our family and community engagement division. I was proud to oversee the launch of our NYC Reads Literacy Hubs and Family Literacy Ambassadors, and I am eager to continue connecting with our families and centering their voices in meaningful and innovative ways.
Sitting on that subway all those years ago, staring up at the ad for New York City Teaching Fellows, I could never have imagined that I’d one day be chancellor of the largest school district in the nation. But the values my mother instilled in me — and her support and persistence — got me where I am today.
As chancellor, I pledge to channel that same persistence to advocate not just for my own daughter, but for all New York City students. Our public schools are and must be places where every one of our children can reach their full potential.
Melissa Aviles-Ramos is chancellor of New York City Public Schools.