While urban school districts like Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston have moved away from various forms of mayor-dominant governance, New York is a notable exception. Not only does the mayor appoint the schools chancellor and a majority of central school board members, he (mayors, so far, have all been male) controls the Department of Education budget and negotiates all union contracts. Through the chancellor, the mayor also appoints all 38 local district superintendents and approximately 1,700 principals.

Through the years, Democratic and Republican mayors, affirmed by bipartisan support in Albany, have supported this hegemonic model. But none have championed City Hall control like Adams. Former Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio appointed trusted lieutenants with broad discretion to lead the schools, leaving policy and operations largely in their hands. There was obviously robust communication between City Hall and DOE headquarters in the old Tweed Courthouse, but under chancellors like Joel Klein and Carmen Fari帽a, policy ideas flowed as much from Tweed as to it.

Adams changed that. In appointing Banks 鈥� a longtime political partner 鈥� to the chancellorship, Adams promoted a strong Science of Reading curriculum and a signature dyslexia screening program. Banks, whose only experience was in high school teaching and administration, was a strong figurehead for this movement but not its instigator. A ballyhooed 鈥淧athways鈥� career-preparation initiative was lifted from the Bloomberg playbook and, until her recent departure, was run by an ex-Bloomberg Philanthropies executive. New programs in special education and recent organizational restructuring appear to have arisen from within the DOE. But now, amid a into Adams’s campaign contributions, Banks has announced he will step down at the end of the year.

With the appointment of Aviles-Ramos, which Adams announced just hours before he was indicted on Sept. 25, the mayor鈥檚 dominance in educational policy is even more pronounced. Instead of the usual promises of change, Aviles-Ramos鈥� initial comments were not only effusive in gratitude to Adams and Banks, but committed to 鈥渟tability鈥� and 鈥渃ontinuing the work that began under [Banks鈥檚] tenure.” While this reassurance is important under the circumstances of an administration under broad legal attack, it is also unusual. Generally, new school superintendents arrive with the glow of change and new possibilities, promising a new agenda rather than continuity. It鈥檚 in their leadership blood and an astute political move to not be associated with shortcomings of a predecessor, even within the context of pre-existing appointive authority of a school board or mayor.

But the promise of continuity is a double-edged sword for parents and students attending New York鈥檚 public schools. Confidence is a major issue. Investigations are swirling around the administration, including reported suggestions of against Banks 鈥� whose home was raided and electronic devices seized by federal officials. Banks has denied any wrongdoing.

Having served as Banks鈥檚 chief of staff, Aviles-Ramos is justifiably seen as part of a tainted leadership. 鈥淲hat did she know and when did she know it?鈥� is a fair question. At a moment when parents are reluctant to force the issue of student attendance (chronic absenteeism rates hover ), feeling that the schools are mired in corruption is hardly an incentive to send your kids to school. Parents will be seeking a leader, not a puppet, and it remains to be seen if Aviles-Ramos can deliver on that desire.

On the other hand, it鈥檚 refreshing to have an incoming chancellor with a deep knowledge of the school system. Aviles-Ramos, a Spanish-speaking Latina, has been a New York City public school student, teacher, principal, acting superintendent and senior executive, mostly in the Bronx. She ran the system鈥檚 response to the recent influx of migrant students. New York is the nation鈥檚 largest school district, with almost 1 million students, and more than twice the size of Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest. By promoting a native New Yorker from within, instead of following the common strategy of bringing in a distinguished outsider, and providing her with a three-month on-ramp, Adams gives the new chancellor credibility on the promise of stability. Parents and teachers may rejoice in knowing that the reading and math curricula established under Banks will continue. While they may not all love the substance of these reforms, nothing drives those who inhabit actual classrooms crazier than sudden policy shifts driven by those at the top.

Even more than is usually the case, the new chancellor’s success will depend a lot on matters outside her control. But her ascent is a test of a different national paradigm for an urban superintendent: promoting centralization over decentralization, continuity over change, insider over outsider. And, in this hour of crisis, Eric Adams has sought to bring a novel spirit to American urban education: calm. Perhaps Melissa Aviles-Ramos is the woman to do that job.

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Less than three years after taking the helm of New York City鈥檚 school system, Chancellor David Banks is planning to retire at the end of the year amid widening probes of City Hall.

Banks鈥� stunning Tuesday announcement comes nearly three weeks after federal agents visited his home the day before school started and seized his phones as part of a broader investigation into members of Mayor Eric Adams鈥� inner circle. Investigators also confiscated phones from Banks鈥� partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and his two brothers, Phil Banks, deputy mayor for public safety, and Terence Banks, a consultant and former MTA staffer.

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Investigators are who sought contracts with the city.

The announcement from the 62-year-old schools chief concludes a that stretched from being a school safety agent to helping launch a network of public schools geared toward young men of color. Tapped by Adams, who said he never seriously considered other candidates to helm the nation鈥檚 largest school district, Banks promised sweeping change to a system he described as

In his time in office, Banks focused more narrowly on two goals: instruction and .

鈥淥n behalf of all New Yorkers, we thank Chancellor Banks for his service, and wish him well in his retirement at the end of the calendar year,鈥� Adams said in a statement Tuesday.

In a Tuesday letter informing Adams of his plan to retire, Banks said he would do 鈥渆verything possible to ensure a smooth transition.鈥�

鈥淪erving as Chancellor has been a profound honor and a deeply fulfilling experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am confident that NYC Public Schools will continue to grow, innovate and excel under the next Chancellor.鈥�

Banks did not acknowledge the federal investigations in his letter, and he said his intent to retire by Dec. 31 predated the start of the school year.

The announcement comes on the heels of a series of resignations of high-profile figures in the Adams administration, including , who stepped down earlier this month, and , who plans to resign at the end of the year.

As members of his administration have left City Hall, Adams has faced pressure from some to step down. Critics were quick to use the school chancellor鈥檚 announcement as .

Banks鈥� tenure has been filled with a host of challenges: prioritizing what programs to save amid fiscal pressures of , figuring out how to , and responding to the ways in which are remaking the learning experience.

For much of last school year, the Israel-Hamas war has between students, teachers, and , thrusting Banks into the spotlight when he testified before Congress in May, .

鈥淭his is a chancellor 鈥� who is authentic, who lives his life with integrity,鈥� Banks said during a Sept. 13 press conference in response to questions about the federal investigations. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only way that I know how to be.鈥�

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools

After ChatGPT exploded in popularity, New York City鈥檚 public school system quickly , arguing it couldn鈥檛 help students build critical thinking skills and often spouts misinformation.

Nearly two years later, during his annual 鈥淪tate of Our Schools鈥� speech on Tuesday, schools Chancellor David Banks completed his about-face on artificial intelligence. The school system should get ready to inject the technology into nearly every aspect of its operations, from teaching and learning to transportation and enrollment, he said.

The schools chief laid out an expansive vision that includes customized college advising, instant assessments of student work, personalized instruction, and even replacing annual standardized tests.

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鈥淎I can revolutionize how we function as a school system,鈥� Banks told the audience of administrators, elected officials, and union leaders at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in Queens as he outlined his plans for the nation鈥檚 largest school system.

Still, Banks acknowledged that the Education Department has no concrete plans, timelines, or cost estimates for those AI projects. The goal is to signal to AI companies that the school system is interested in their technology and wants to hear ideas, he said, adding that officials are convening an advisory council next month to help brainstorm.

Aside from his embrace of AI, the most significant announcement from Banks on Tuesday was a plan to open a new high school in southeast Queens next fall, called HBCU Early College Prep, that will have strong ties to historically Black colleges and universities.

Banks鈥� annual speech otherwise stuck to promoting initiatives that he has been building since taking office in 2022. He noted that his is rolling out to all elementary schools this fall. He vowed to , an initiative in 135 high schools that gives students access to coursework geared toward specific industries and paid internships.

And he noted the city is adding to its library of curriculums focused on underrepresented groups called The city recently launched materials devoted to people with disabilities, and Banks said the department will offer lessons focused on the Latino community soon.

Though Mayor Eric Adams attended the speech, he did not offer any remarks 鈥� a break from the previous year. Adams and several senior members of his administration have been . Earlier this month, federal agents searched homes or seized electronic devices from Banks, his two brothers, and his romantic partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

Asked about Adams鈥� lack of a speaking role during the event, Banks declined to comment.

Here are three takeaways from the chancellor鈥檚 speech:

Banks thinks AI will become pervasive in the city鈥檚 schools

Banks sketched out a few ways he thinks the technology can significantly change the way schools operate. He said the systems could 鈥済ive teachers a daily, accurate, and comprehensive picture of a child鈥檚 progress鈥� based on homework assignments, exams, and other student work.

AI tools could also offer 鈥減ersonalized learning plans for every child鈥� alongside extra instruction based on those plans. The idea, Banks said, is to make it easier for teachers to reach students at a range of academic levels who are all in the same classroom. Still, some previous efforts to promote personalized learning, including by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, .

The technology could also provide students with more comprehensive college and career counseling, Banks suggested, drawing on information like employment outcomes at different schools. An Education Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about whether there are any real-world examples of the technology being used in the ways Banks described.

Asked about the technology鈥檚 limitations, , Banks acknowledged it is 鈥渘ot fully baked yet,鈥� but 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be overly concerned about some of the early missteps.鈥�

The schools chief also sought to calm fears about the technology.

鈥淎I will never be able to replace the personal connection that a teacher provides,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not displacing human beings.鈥�

A new high school is coming to Queens

On the heels of opening two new Bard Early College campuses in Brooklyn and the Bronx, officials said they鈥檙e planning to open a third 鈥渁ccelerated鈥� high school this fall in Queens 鈥� HBCU Early College Prep.

Officials have previously said opening new campuses is part of a bid to keep families in the city鈥檚 public schools, which have seen enrollment drop 9% over the past five years.

The campus will partner with Delaware State University, a historically Black college, and will give students a chance to earn an associate degree before leaving high school.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e also going to be immersed in the history and culture of multiple HBCUs across the country through college visits, the opportunity to study abroad, and research opportunities,鈥� Banks said, adding that there will be 鈥渟ynchronous instruction from professors, alumni, mentors and more.鈥�

Education Department officials said the school will be screened and will give priority to Queens residents.

Spinning up schools that serve specific student populations is in Banks鈥� wheelhouse. Before becoming chancellor, , a network of public schools geared toward serving young men of color. At the conclusion of his speech on Tuesday, Banks led the crowd in a recitation of the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley, a at Eagle.

Tweaks to career-focused learning efforts

City officials are making some tweaks to its FutureReadyNYC initiative, which gives students access to career-connected learning opportunities. Participating schools will be able to add new 鈥渋ndustry focus areas鈥� in social work and decarbonization.

That builds on existing tracks in business, education, technology, and health care.

Banks touted a plan to launch a new high school, Northwell School of Health Sciences, that is designed to prepare students for careers in the health care industry. The school is supported with nearly $25 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which Banks said is the single largest grant the school system has ever received. (Chalkbeat from Bloomberg.)

The chancellor also announced that Mount Sinai Health System will help support the city鈥檚 career education efforts.

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

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Federal agents seized phones from New York City schools Chancellor David Banks and his partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, early Wednesday at their Harlem home, the New York Times reported.

Federal agents also seized devices at the Queens home of Banks鈥� brother, Phil Banks, also a top aide to Mayor Eric Adams. Agents searched the home of a third Banks brother, Terence Banks, who retired from the MTA and now works as a consultant, according to the . THE CITY some of the moves made by federal agents.

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In a statement on Friday, Chancellor Banks confirmed he was cooperating with 鈥渁 federal inquiry.鈥�

鈥淵esterday was the first day of school for the 1.1 million students and staff of New York City Public Schools, and I remain focused on ensuring they have safe, academically rigorous, and joyful school year,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am confirming that I am cooperating with a federal inquiry. At this time, I cannot comment any further on that matter.鈥�

None of the officials have been accused of a crime, according to the New York Times.

The news of federal agents鈥� arrival at the doorstep of the schools chancellor came Thursday, on , casting a cloud over the typically ebullient first-day-of-school mood.

As he left a visit from a Queens high school Thursday afternoon, Chancellor Banks , 鈥淭oday is the first day of school, it is all about the kids. If there鈥檚 any other comments that are made, it will be happening tomorrow.鈥�

Several Education Department staffers said news of the federal agents鈥� moves spread quickly in education circles Thursday. Multiple sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Education Department employees were shocked by both the news and timing, as the nation鈥檚 largest school system on Thursday.

Aaron Pallas, a Teachers College professor and longtime observer of the city鈥檚 Education Department, said the incident could impact Banks鈥� work leading the nation鈥檚 largest school system.

鈥淎nything that can distract them from staying focused on the task at hand could impede their effectiveness,鈥� he said.

Wednesday鈥檚 activity was the latest move in a swirl of law enforcement inquiries surrounding Adams, his administration, and his campaign. Federal officials are also . The New York Times that the federal campaign inquiry was separate from the matter that federal agents were looking into Wednesday.

Meanwhile, search warrants were also executed on NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and Tim Pearson, a top mayoral aide embroiled in , New York 1 .

鈥淚nvestigators have not indicated to us [that] the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation,鈥� Adams鈥� chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, told THE CITY in a statement. 鈥淎s a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has repeatedly made clear that all members of the team need to follow the law.鈥�

As he left City Hall on Thursday, Adams also told reporters that he had 鈥渃onfidence in the team,鈥� according to THE CITY. 鈥淭he goal is to follow the law and that is what this administration always stood for and what we鈥檙e going to continue to stand for,鈥� he said.

Chancellor Banks is a core member of the unusually of the Adams administration. Banks and Adams have years, and their family and professional lives are intertwined. Adams鈥� girlfriend, , and his sister-in-law, , both work in the city Education Department.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Maud Maron, subject of the April order and a member of Manhattan鈥檚 District 2 community education council, has received widespread criticism from lawmakers, city leaders and parents for anti-LGBTQ, specifically anti-trans, comments made in private texts first published by 蜜桃影视, including 鈥渢here is no such thing as trans kids.鈥� 

A few months later, in the , she called an anonymous Stuyvesant High School student journalist a 鈥渃oward,鈥� accusing them of 鈥淛ew hatred.鈥� 

In the April 17 order, deputy chancellor Kenita Lloyd ordered that she 鈥渃ease engaging in conduct involving derogatory or offensive comments about any New York City Public School student, and conduct that serves to harass, intimidate, or threaten, including but not limited to frequent verbal abuse and unnecessary aggressive speech that serves to intimidate and cause others to have concern for their personal safety, which is prohibited by Chancellor鈥檚 Regulation D-210.鈥� 

Lloyd went on to write that Maron could face 鈥渟uspension or removal鈥� if she did not comply with the order. The directive offered Maron a voluntary 鈥渃onciliation鈥� meeting with a schools equity officer.

In a statement Maron told 蜜桃影视 she 鈥渃annot possibly comply with a directive to cease doing something when that 鈥榮omething鈥� has never been communicated to me,鈥� adding that DOE leadership have never provided her with any 鈥渄ates, places, quotes, people or any information.鈥� 

She also categorized the 鈥減rocedure鈥� as 鈥淜afkaesque,鈥� 鈥渂izarre,鈥� 鈥渟peech-chilling,鈥� and an 鈥渆mbarrassment鈥� to the city school system. 

But some critics said the department鈥檚 order is too little, too late, stopping short of Maron鈥檚 removal, which community members have demanded at education council meetings for months.

鈥淚鈥檓 doubtful an order like that will really make a difference because [Maron] has shown she has no qualms whatsoever about targeting students with abuse and hateful rhetoric,鈥� said fellow District 2 parent and council member Gavin Healy.

Schools Chancellor David Banks previously called Maron鈥檚 behavior 鈥渄espicable,鈥� promising to 鈥渢ake action鈥� nearly four months ago. 

In the months since, Maron at a Moms for Liberty event and continued parent leadership duties,  including sponsoring a resolution to reassess the city鈥檚 gender guidelines for student sports. The resolution was swiftly condemned by lawmakers and advocates, fearful any change would limit trans students鈥� rights and open doors for anti-trans violence. 

Nearly 800 District 2 community members also signed a petition to have Maron removed from Stuyvesant High School鈥檚 leadership team after her February comments in the Post about the anonymous student, where she urged the writer to make their name public for their opinions about the Israel-Gaza war.

Parents called the rhetoric harassment and a danger to student safety and free speech. 

Due to the DOE鈥檚 memo鈥檚 vague language, it鈥檚 unclear which of Maron鈥檚 remarks were the subject of complaint and investigation that warranted the cease order. 

鈥淚 have never named any student or directly addressed any student in a manner other than polite, friendly and professional,鈥� Maron said. She is now among several parents , alleging censorship and stifling of free speech.

In early March, Schools Chancellor David Banks announced he would eliminate the executive superintendent role from the Department of Education鈥檚 internal structure and require district superintendents to re-apply for their jobs. The shifts received a in The New York Times story covering the chancellor鈥檚 remarks, his first major address as head of the DOE.

But to Bronx parent Ilka Rios, the news hit like a thunderbolt.

鈥淚nitially, when [the chancellor] made the announcement, at that point, I didn’t hear nothing else that came out of his mouth,鈥� she said.

To her, the update meant only one thing: Her borough, which suffers the city鈥檚 highest poverty rates and lowest high school graduation rates, would lose a leader who had finally started to turn around the area鈥檚 schools, Erika Tobia.

鈥淒r. Tobia has been a godsend to the Bronx,鈥� Rios told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淓very time the Bronx finds someone to help them get better, it’s like someone from downtown swoops in and removes them.鈥�

A 30-year education veteran in the borough, Tobia had only assumed her post as executive superintendent 11 months prior. The position itself was created just three years earlier in 2018 under former Chancellor Richard Carranza, who to increase oversight and support for district superintendents.聽

With a total of eight positions, one or two per borough, eliminating the posts will save millions of dollars, said Chancellor Banks, who founded a Bronx high school early in his career.聽

鈥淲e want to push those dollars closer to schools,鈥� the chancellor later said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 all this is about.鈥�

The idea that parents would rally to preserve an additional layer of bureaucracy is hardly typical and, indeed, not all parents are equally enamored with their executive superintendent. In Brooklyn, Yuli Hsu praised the chancellor鈥檚 move.

鈥溾�嬧�媁hen the previous chancellor added the executive level of superintendents, to me it just added another level of expense and bureaucracy,鈥� she told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 really noticed any impactful change since [Executive Superintendent Karen Watts] arrived鈥� in her role in North Brooklyn.

蜜桃影视 reached out directly to each of the city鈥檚 eight executive superintendents. None responded.

In the Bronx, Tobia鈥檚 parent-first style won families over.

The leader ran food drives, held sessions to build trust between campus police and families and launched a series of 鈥溾�� for adult education that regularly drew dozens of participants. Every month, Tobia held gatherings 鈥� dubbed 鈥渏ust us鈥� meetings because she honored parents鈥� request that no other district officials attend 鈥� for families to share their education concerns, said Rios, who was president of the Community Education Council in the borough鈥檚 District聽 12 for nearly a decade.

鈥淔or us in the Bronx, it鈥檚 really important because we never had that voice before,鈥� said Farah Despeignes, District 8鈥檚 CEC president. 鈥淭hat is why parents are so upset鈥� that they would eliminate that position.鈥�

With parents and school leaders across the city looking to get a handle on the new administration鈥檚 education agenda, they say how the chancellor moves forward with his planned shakeup will be an early test of his priorities and willingness to incorporate community voices.

So far, Rios remains unsatisfied.

鈥淭he chancellor nor the mayor, neither one of them brought us to the table to ask us parent leaders how it was working with [Tobia],鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey just made the decision, 鈥榃e’re eliminating the position.鈥� And I get it, eliminate the position, but then tell us, you’re going to put her somewhere else in the district.鈥�

Despeignes penned a December letter on behalf of her parent organization, , to then Mayor-elect Eric Adams urging him to consider the Bronx executive superintendent for a post where she could engage with and uplift families across the city.

Banks has dropped indicators that he may still heed their advice. While the executive superintendent role will be going away at the end of this school year, some of those leaders 鈥渕ay reappear in other positions鈥� in the DOE, he said.

During a two days after the chancellor鈥檚 announcement, Bronx Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson pressed Banks on his choice to get rid of the position prized by many of her constituents.

The chancellor empathized: 鈥淚鈥檝e heard from a lot of parents in the Bronx who are really supportive of the Executive Superintendent Tobia,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e become very fond of her myself in the two months that I鈥檝e been here and I鈥檝e seen her work 鈥� so stay tuned.鈥�

鈥淲e are working diligently to finalize the execution of [the chancellor鈥檚] announcement and additional details are forthcoming,鈥� a DOE spokesperson wrote in a March 14 email to 蜜桃影视.

The Power of Community! When we come together鈥e can achieve anything!

鈥� Erika Tobia (@BxSuptTobia)

Experts agreed with that, structurally, the role 鈥渁dds a level of bureaucracy without adding enough value to schools and students.鈥� According to David Bloomfield, the extra layer actually restricts the authority of local leaders.

鈥淭he executive superintendents handcuffed the superintendents, and now the superintendents will be freer,鈥� said the Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center education professor. 

鈥淭his is a win-win,鈥� he added. Because there will now be 46 superintendents 鈥� presumably some of them new faces after the reapplication process 鈥� reporting to the chancellor rather than eight executive superintendents, 鈥渢he chancellor鈥檚 office is going to have more information to assess its policies and the principals and superintendents will be able to act with more discretion.鈥�

Since taking office in January, Banks has repeatedly vowed to improve the city鈥檚 schools 鈥溾�� by giving principals more autonomy, an agenda item reminiscent of the Bloomberg era.

Parent leaders like Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, of Harlem, say their schools became more responsive to the community once the executive superintendent role was introduced.

鈥淭here was a systemic issue in my district where parents were not empowered and parents didn鈥檛 have a voice,鈥� Salas-Ramirez told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淲hen the executive superintendents were put in place, Marisol [Rosales, the Manhattan leader at the time,] was incredibly responsive to parents on the ground.鈥�

That indicates, said Andrea Gabor, author of , not that another layer of bureaucracy was necessary, but that perhaps Salas-Ramirez鈥檚 district superintendents weren鈥檛 properly doing their job.

鈥淚n an ideal world, teachers and principals should be the ones who are responsive to parents,鈥� the Baruch College professor told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淵ou should not have to go through a four-layer cake in order to get some kind of a response.鈥�

The DOE took a similar stance: “[School] leaders will be successful when they work closely with families. 鈥� There are phenomenal schools in every neighborhood across the city, and it is our responsibility to cut bureaucracy and grow what is working at the school-level,鈥� said Press Secretary Nathaniel Styer.

Still, based on her experience in the Bronx, Despeignes pushed back. 

鈥淵es, it is another layer of bureaucracy鈥� but it’s a layer of bureaucracy that is needed because it brings all the schools and all the superintendents under one tent,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not outlandish,鈥� noted Bloomfield, to eliminate executive superintendents in most boroughs, but keep them on a case-by-case basis in areas where they鈥檙e making a positive impact, perhaps like the Bronx.

Back in Brooklyn, District 14 Community Education Council President Tajh Sutton said the bulk of the Adams鈥檚 administration鈥檚 work building families鈥� trust is still to come.

鈥淚’m happy to see one layer of the bureaucracy go, but what does that look like in practice? And how does it improve the lives and interactions between families and districts on the ground?鈥� she wonders. 鈥淎re we talking to the most marginalized members of each district community to really try to get a sense of, 鈥業s this superintendent effective? Is this principal effective?鈥欌��

Hsu, also on the District 14 CEC, agrees. She鈥檚 been frustrated by the lack of action after she raised concerns over anti-Asian racism her kids and others have experienced in school, she said. To her, re-ordering the DOE鈥檚 organizational chart is not enough.

鈥淵ou’re just kind of shuffling pieces of a broken system around,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat I really want to hear is about meaningful change from the ground up and meaningful engagement with parents.鈥�

Offered the job by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, Carvalho in private, then presided over a televised school board meeting that featured three hours of supporters all but begging him to stay. In the end, Carvalho remained.

greeted the move in Miami, but it didn鈥檛 go over so well in New York, home to the nation鈥檚 largest school district: Eric Phillips, de Blasio鈥檚 press secretary, , 鈥淲ho would ever hire this guy again?鈥�

Four years later, Phillips has his answer: Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation鈥檚 second-largest school system.

The drama of the hire was underscored by Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, who likened the move to 鈥�LeBron coming to the Lakers.鈥� But Los Angeles offers only the most recent example of an oversize personality with huge ambitions taking over a district鈥檚 top job. Right now, all three of the nation鈥檚 largest school systems are run by energetic reformers, a rarity even in big-city schools circles.

All of them greet Spring 2022 full of promise 鈥� and problems. Over the next few years, they鈥檒l enjoy unprecedented funding as taxpayers throw billions of dollars at schools to scrub away deficits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But all three districts are rapidly losing students. And unions, emboldened by 2021 victories around remote instruction and, in recent years, high-profile strikes, could be formidable obstacles to their priorities. In Chicago, new schools CEO has already faced down a citywide teacher walkout.

In addition to Carvalho and Martinez, who are both immigrants, New York City Mayor Eric Adams in December named , the founder of a small network of public boys鈥� schools, as the new school chancellor. Banks鈥檚 schools have stood out for, among other reasons, employing many male teachers of color.

All three 鈥渄efinitely seem reform minded, which I think is super exciting and a real breath of fresh air,鈥� said , superintendent of the Catholic independent Partnership Schools network. 

鈥淚 think it really speaks to the moment we’re at as we’re coming out of COVID,鈥� she said. The pandemic 鈥減rovided an uncomfortable reminder鈥� of the need for leaders who will put children鈥檚 needs first. 

Billions in new funding 鈥� until 2024

Martinez, Chicago鈥檚 new schools CEO, is of Chiefs for Change, a group that advocates for increased school choice, effective teacher preparation, and standards-aligned curricula. But it also rails against 鈥渙nerous bureaucracy鈥� in schools. That credo will certainly be challenged by the sheer scale of federal intervention: some in COVID-related relief since 2020.

In New York, state lawmakers in 2021 increased funding to New York City by nearly half a billion dollars. By next year, a lawsuit settled last year to equalize urban school funding could bring that to $1 billion, said president of Bank Street College and New York City鈥檚 former senior deputy chancellor. 鈥淪o there is a significant infusion of new dollars into the school system that can be used to dig into systemic issues. And that’s very rare.鈥�

As in districts large and small elsewhere, the three leaders are 鈥渁ll drinking from a firehose鈥� of funding, said of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. But that also places extra responsibility on them: 鈥淣o one can blame lack of funding as their excuse for not getting things done,鈥� she said.

But unless Congress acts, all that extra funding will run out in 2024. None of the three new leaders agreed to be interviewed for this piece.

, who leads the AASA, the nation鈥檚 school superintendent鈥檚 association, said many leaders are using the cash to upgrade facilities. But spending it on generous raises or new instructional positions could actually put them at odds with unions, since those jobs won鈥檛 be sustainable.

鈥淭he financial cliff is only two years away,鈥� he said.

A 鈥榝riend of charters back at the helm鈥�

A product of New York City鈥檚 public schools, Banks cut his teeth founding and the network of five unionized Eagle Academy public schools in New York City and Newark.

While the schools aren鈥檛 charters, Banks has said he supports charter schools. He told in December that families 鈥渁re desperate for quality seats, quality schools 鈥� And if the traditional public schools were offering that, you wouldn鈥檛 see such a mass rush to the charter schools.鈥�

Banks created the Eagle Academy schools to serve academically struggling boys of color in grades six through 12 who often face harsh discipline. As chancellor, he said, his first priorities are to expand early childhood education, improve career pathways for older students, and to combat students鈥� trauma.

, president of the United Federation of Teachers, the city鈥檚 union, has known Banks for years. 鈥淚’ve been at his schools and I found them to be quite well-run,鈥� he said. All the same, running the largest school district in the nation will force him to tame the city schools鈥� 鈥渕ammoth bureaucracy.鈥� 

The last two mayors have restructured the school system six times, Mulgrew said. 鈥淎nd every time, all they did was add another layer.鈥�

In his , Banks on March 2 acknowledged that many families have 鈥渄ecided to vote with their feet, and to say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to find other alternatives and other choices for our children.鈥欌�� 

He promised an overhaul of the bureaucracy, including requiring district superintendents to reapply for their jobs. And he took direct aim at the way many schools teach reading, criticizing a method developed by a Columbia University Teachers College professor that 鈥渉as not worked鈥� with many children. He promised to shift to a method that emphasizes explicit phonics instruction, among other changes.

Banks has also said he鈥檇 like to transform city schools from the bottom up by handing to 鈥減rincipals who know what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� according to the speech. He also wants to tweak how standardized tests are used, allowing students to show they鈥檝e mastered content in other ways.

His ascendance stands in contrast to previous leaders who have looked suspiciously on the charter sector. New York actually caps the number of charter schools statewide at 460, with just 290 allowed for nearly 1 million students in New York City. While it鈥檇 take a state-level change to allow more, choice advocates said Banks can eloquently make the case.

鈥淚t feels to me like this is the moment where we can really see that there is a friend of charters back at the helm of New York City schools, which I think is really great to see, and I know is probably sending some shockwaves,鈥� said Porter-Magee.

So far, at least, Banks hasn鈥檛 forcefully pushed to lift the cap, in December, 鈥淲e want to scale excellence. So if that means opening a few more charter schools, that’s what we’re going to do … if we can get the state to approve it.鈥� But he said he鈥檚 also encouraging the philanthropic community 鈥渢o lean in on the traditional public school system, because at the end of the day, most of our children will continue to go to our traditional public schools.鈥�

Enrollment downturns

Carvalho, who led Miami-Dade schools for 14 years, has been able to compete with charters by creating centralized data systems that allowed him to keep track of students鈥� academic progress better than most big-city leaders during the pandemic, Rees said. 

A Portuguese immigrant, Carvalho grew up in Miami and worked restaurant and construction jobs early on. He came up through the ranks in Miami-Dade, starting out as a high school science teacher and becoming a new breed of area leader: one who sticks around. Before he took the top job in 2008, Miami-Dade 鈥渨as a revolving door for superintendents coming and going,鈥� Domenech said.

Sticking around paid off. In 2012, the district won the coveted $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes school districts that have shown academic improvement while narrowing the achievement gap. More recent findings from the district鈥檚 Office of Academics and Transformation paint a : While Black students鈥� graduation rates rose from 62.4 percent in 2011 to 85.6 percent in 2020, just 40 percent of Black students in 2019 were proficient in reading; 44 percent were proficient in math. 

With parents clamoring to remediate lost instructional time during the pandemic, Domenech said Carvalho brought in 鈥渁 very creative鈥� program that contracted with camps to provide summer school.

Carvalho鈥檚 long tenure 鈥� the average big-city leader sticks around 鈥� is 鈥渁 testament to his savvy in terms of the politics, in dealing with the board, in dealing with the community, in dealing with employee groups,鈥� Domenech said.

He鈥檒l need that savvy in Los Angeles, which also has recently featured a revolving door of superintendents, a strong union and an outspoken, ever-shifting school board 鈥� it currently has three seats open in the next election. In Los Angeles, Carvalho will work at the pleasure of the school board. Meanwhile, Banks and Martinez will work for the mayors of their respective cities.

During his second week at LAUSD, Carvalho unveiled a that includes expanded preschool, year-round learning and a 鈥淧arent Academy鈥� offering coursework to help parents understand their children鈥檚 education. He鈥檇 also lengthen the school year and offer teachers more professional development. He acknowledged that he鈥檇 have to negotiate with the city鈥檚 teachers union about those last two ideas.

Carvalho last month told 蜜桃影视 the district must expand school choice if it wants to keep from 鈥渂leeding out students鈥� from a system that, while much bigger than Miami, has fewer than one-third as many school choice options.

Los Angeles students, he said, basically have two choices at the moment: magnet schools and charter schools. 鈥淲hoever decided to restrict choice on the basis of those parameters?鈥� he asked. 鈥淲here are the programs in L.A. where we see long waiting lists of parents? Why aren鈥檛 we expanding more of those programs to where the demand is?鈥�

He has the district consider an 鈥渆xplosion of offerings鈥� for students, including dual-enrollment programs, International Baccalaureate programs, fine and performing arts magnet schools, and single-gender schools, among others. 鈥淚鈥檓 less concerned about the dynamic of dialogue that usually separates people into two camps: charter versus non-charter. I鈥檓 more interested in programmatic offerings that benefit kids 鈥� period.鈥�

Carvalho suggested that the district analyze which programs motivate students to travel long distances from their neighborhoods and offer more of these. 鈥淚 can fill an entire wall with a repertoire of options for parents. Why aren鈥檛 we offering all of that?鈥�

Throughout the pandemic, all three cities have struggled to retain and, in some cases, even find their students. All have seen in .

of the California Charter Schools Association said a crashing birth rate across California is a cause for concern. And net migration has actually dipped 鈥渋nto the negatives鈥� as home due to anti-immigration policies and economic uncertainty.

鈥淭his is not about 鈥楾he affluent went to Tahoe during the pandemic to hunker down,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭his is real and it’s permanent and it’s creating challenges across the state.鈥�

An 鈥榠nnovative and data-informed鈥� school integration experiment

Born in Mexico, Martinez emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 5. He is in a family of 12 children with deep ties to Chicago鈥檚 public school system 鈥� three of his sisters and some 28 nieces and nephews attend local public schools. 

Martinez was working in finance for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2003 when then-Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Arne Duncan hired him as chief financial officer. He remained there until 2009 鈥� Duncan moved on to serve as U.S. Education Secretary under President Obama. Martinez made a name for himself leading the San Antonio Independent School District through a redesign, beginning in 2015, that 蜜桃影视 dubbed 鈥渙ne of America鈥檚 most innovative and data-informed school integration experiments.鈥�

Using family income data, he mapped poverty levels for each city block. Then he integrated schools not by race but by income and, among other factors, by parents鈥� education levels. Three years later, San Antonio鈥檚 90 schools and 47,000 students were among the fastest-improving in Texas.

In Chicago, he faces something entirely different: a 330,000-student system that鈥檚 as families leave the city. Recent enrollment data show that while 43,500 new students enrolled for the first time this year, 54,000 left between the last school year and this one.

On the job in Chicago for seven months, Martinez has already his first major crisis: the city鈥檚 teachers in early January voted to not show up for work until COVID-19 safety demands were met. 

Martinez proposed a host of measures, including building-level testing to determine when to close schools. But the union, with memories of an that ended with millions in extra spending, insisted on more strict measures, including negative PCR tests for all staff, students, and volunteers in order to keep schools open. 

The strike lasted just under a week after the district agreed to increase testing options, allow remote learning on a case-by-case basis, and secure more KN95 masks. Despite the agreement, union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates Mayor Lori Lightfoot as 鈥渦nfit to lead our city. She鈥檚 on a one-woman kamikaze mission to destroy our public schools.鈥�

鈥楾his is the moment that unions should be at their strongest鈥�

, a school consultant and occasional columnist for 蜜桃影视, said the political climate in all three cities reflects a desire by voters more broadly and parents specifically, to pull back from 鈥渟uper-progressive鈥� policies, such as the Defund the Police movement, to more centrist strategies that simply ensure a solid education for all. Parents 鈥渏ust want a school system they can count on, that’s reliable, that is just serving their kids.鈥�

, president of the education advocacy group 50CAN, said Adams, the New York mayor, campaigned on not just a return to moderation but normalcy: 鈥淭he schools are open, the subways are safe. The restaurants work. People are back in their offices. That’s almost nostalgia now, and people crave that. And I think these candidates got that. And their education choices reflect that too.鈥�

At the same time, unions are on the ascent. With their to in-person instruction amid COVID-19 spikes and a handful of recent in recent years, they鈥檝e seen their and influence grow after years of declining membership. 

鈥淭his is the moment that unions should be at their strongest,鈥� said , a resident senior fellow at the R Street Institute, a libertarian Washington, D.C., think tank. 鈥淭his is a health crisis, and unions are designed to make sure that they’re protecting the health and safety of their members.鈥�

But over the past few years, he said, unions in many places have 鈥渙verplayed their hands鈥� by demanding that instruction stay remote. The arrival of these new leaders may signal something different altogether: The new leaders are by no means union supporters, even if voters in each of their solidly blue cities are.

Rees, of the charter schools group, noted that Banks hired Dan Weisberg as first deputy chancellor. Since 2015, Weisberg has served as , a national nonprofit (formerly called The New Teacher Project) that has trained thousands of teachers outside of traditional teachers colleges. Since its founding in 1997, it has had a complicated relationship with unions. 

In 2018, after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt unions a blow by making a portion of members鈥� dues optional, Weisberg wrote that he disagreed with the decision, calling it 鈥渁 matter of basic fairness that teachers who reap the benefits of collective bargaining should also share in the costs.鈥�

But Weisberg also called the decision 鈥渁 blessing in disguise鈥� for unions, which he said 鈥渁re now forced to finally confront an existential threat that鈥檚 been brewing for years: They鈥檙e losing touch with more and more of their members.鈥�

Rees said Weisberg鈥檚 hiring 鈥済ives us confidence that there’s a new sheriff in town and that things are going to be a little bit different, or at least that the reform community and the charter school community will have a seat at the table.鈥�

David Banks said clearly that balanced literacy 鈥� an approach used around the country 鈥� doesn鈥檛 work, particularly for low-income students. Instead, phonics-based instruction is what students need. 

This acknowledgement can be game-changing not only for New York City鈥檚 school children, but in schools across the country that ought to be examining whether they, too, have been teaching reading the wrong way. 

The science of how kids learn to read is clear and direct. Reading is a code, and to crack the code, you teach the code. There are 26 letters, some having more than one sound. When some of those letters combine, there are even more new sounds. Learning to read means gaining the ability to hold these different sounds and sound combinations in your brain and then honing those skills to access them at an increasingly fast rate. A strong and effective phonics program unlocks comprehension, as fluent, accurate readers free up their mental space to grapple with increasingly complex words 鈥� and complex themes. 

Under balanced literacy, schools mix phonics with a “whole language” approach. Rather than teaching letter sounds and combinations, it sprinkles phonics into an environment filled with books under the theory that this will organically produce new readers. The problem is that this ignores decades of research into the science behind . 

The effects have been devastating, particularly for children of color and from low-income backgrounds. In New York City, for example, under balanced literacy, fewer than 30 percent of fourth graders were proficient in reading in 2019, according to federal . 

Allowing poor reading skills to go unaddressed is the equivalent of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The reading rich will continue to grow, because with every new book they read, they build new vocabulary and knowledge, which allows them to access even more complex text. But for the reading poor, a struggle to read will only deepen the deficit over time unless the child’s teachers intervene quickly at the point of error. 

The good news here is that the incoming chancellor might now light a path for millions of children 鈥� not just in New York City, but in the rest of the country as well, to ensure that educators no longer ignore the science of reading. 

To be clear, teaching phonics isn鈥檛 about rote memorization of sounds. It takes a lot of cognitive work to decode a word, and strong phonics instruction puts that work on students. The teacher鈥檚 role is to prompt students with the right questions that lead them to learn sounds and sounds strung together. When students make a mistake, rather than correct it or give the answer, the teacher should guide them to correct their own errors. This leads to deeper, longer-lasting learning.

Most schools say they 鈥渄o phonics.鈥� But “doing phonics鈥� is quite different from doing it well.  True phonics programs address the brain science around reading. At a time of teacher shortages and extreme stress on educators, delivering effective phonics instruction requires support and resources. Teachers have never been more critical, and it鈥檚 never been more important to invest in supporting teachers. 

At Uncommon Schools, our educators are getting up to 70 hours of literacy training this year, with a focus on the science of reading. Teachers must understand the human brain and the different areas that come into play as a child learns how to read 鈥� the occipito-temporal region, which recognizes the letter shapes; the parieto-temporal region, which turns those letters into sounds; the frontal lobe, which controls speech; and the temporal lobe, which controls language comprehension. This is not something that many top universities and colleges teach in their education schools, or even require for education majors.

For most adults, reading is so automatic that it’s easy to forget all the different components that go into interpreting words on a page. But it鈥檚 essential to break them down so that teachers can understand the process their young students are experiencing 鈥� or struggling with 鈥� right before their eyes.

Students also need to be given the opportunity to access rich, complex texts that are culturally responsive and provide them windows into different cultures and mirrors that reflect and empower their own identities. Kids should be exposed to a very broad range of identities 鈥� seeing themselves, their families and people they know in the materials they read. 

These three big commitments 鈥� basing reading instruction on the science, arming teachers with support and training, and providing students with complex and culturally responsive texts 鈥� are the foundation for developing strong readers. 

Schools that can provide these three levers will produce readers who will have a vastly different world ahead of them than those whose schools don鈥檛. Banks gets this. Now, hopefully, hundreds of thousands of New York City school children will, too.

is chief schools officer K-8 for Uncommon Schools, a network of 57 public schools serving 21,000 students in three Northeast states. 

Appearing on MSNBC, he spoke specifically about school safety during COVID and the need to keep remote learning options on the table, about his openness to scaling successful education strategies from non-traditional schools, and about the 鈥渘orth star鈥� that will guide his efforts: Ensuring that every New York City student is set up for career success in the new economy. 

Read more about his appointment from 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Jo Napolitano, and watch his full MSNBC appearance: 

The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a聽聽with Alberto Carvalho as the district鈥檚 new superintendent. Carvalho, who has long served as chief of the Miami-Dade schools, will start March 1 or earlier. He鈥檒l earn an annual salary of $440,000, plus other benefits.

鈥淚 cannot promise you the world. What I can promise you is this 鈥� tireless dedication to this community, much like I demonstrated tireless dedication to the community of Miami-Dade for 14 years,鈥� he said during the board meeting. 鈥淭his shall not be a flash in the pan. I am here to stay.鈥�

Carvalho promised to focus on longstanding achievement gaps, empower parents to navigate school bureaucracy and offer more choice within the district to reverse declining enrollment. 

The Los Angeles Unified school board on Thursday unanimously Alberto Carvalho, one of the nation鈥檚 most respected 鈥� and buzzed about 鈥� school leaders, as the district鈥檚 next superintendent.

鈥淭his is like LeBron coming to the Lakers,鈥� said Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. 鈥淗e is by far the most effective and innovative urban superintendent in the country. This is huge for L.A.鈥�

The move to hire Carvalho, 57, who has led the Miami-Dade Public Schools since 2008 and famously courted, then rejected, the top job in New York City, means the nation鈥檚 three largest districts will be led by energetic reformers at a time when the pandemic has severely tested the public school system. 

Pedro Martinez recently became CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, and just Thursday, New York Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced , who founded a network of all-boys schools, would be the next schools chancellor. 

Los Angeles officials are in final negotiations with Carvalho and plan to vote on his contract Tuesday, according to a district statement.

Buoyed by a generally supportive teachers union, Carvalho racked up a string of awards and accomplishments in Miami, and the district saw steady improvement in student performance before the pandemic.

In the increasingly demanding world of district chiefs, Carvalho is something of an outlier. In a , Travis Pillow, editorial director at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, noted that eight of the 10 largest urban districts have seen leadership turnover since the beginning of the pandemic. Los Angeles Unified has had eight superintendents since 2006. Carvalho, by contrast, has held the same job since 2008, having spent his entire career in Miami, working first as a teacher, then assistant principal, communications officer and lobbyist before ascending to his role as superintendent.

鈥淔or the last three decades, I have selflessly dedicated my professional career to the children of Miami鈥檚 diverse community, and I am hoping to bring that same passion, compassion and commitment to the students and families in L.A. Unified,鈥� Carvalho said in a statement.

He faces a very different context in the nation鈥檚 second-largest district, where enrollment has declined and the vocal United Teachers Los Angeles tends to have the upper hand in negotiations.

Education activist Ben Austin, who is currently pushing for a statewide ballot initiative giving students a constitutional right to a high-quality education, acknowledged Carvalho鈥檚 impressive national reputation.

But he cautioned that 鈥淟AUSD is a political black hole that has a long history of ending the careers of talented leaders.鈥�

Noting that the “prolonged pandemic has underscored the critical importance of public schools for our communities,鈥� UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cru said in a statement that the union was 鈥渞eady to work鈥� with Carvalho 鈥渢o uplift public education in LA and build racially just, fully resourced schools that serve as community anchors, where educators are valued, families are supported, and students have the resources they need to thrive.鈥�

Prior to the pandemic, the district saw notable on state tests, graduation rates and the percentage of English learners becoming proficient in English. But an analysis of data released in March showed that 40,000 high school students were off track for graduation and that reading skills among the district鈥檚 youngest students had sharply declined. 

鈥淗e鈥檚 had a really good run in Miami,鈥� said Martinez. 鈥淚 think L.A. needs a lot of work. It鈥檚 a great community, but they are behind most of the other large districts in improving student achievement.鈥�

Politics in Florida may have pushed Carvalho toward a Democrat-led state that supports mask and vaccine mandates. In Florida, Carvalho was among several superintendents who defied Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis鈥檚 ban on districts mandating that students wear masks. Martinez, who left San Antonio for Chicago, said the two leaders gave each other 鈥渆motional support while we were fighting our governors and attorney generals.鈥�

He added if anyone had asked him who he would recommend to lead Los Angeles, he would have said Carvalho.

During former Superintendent Austin Beutner鈥檚 tenure, UTLA leaders complained about him being a non-educator. With Carvalho, they鈥檒l have a chief who knows well the inner-workings of a large school system. When he started as superintendent, the district was in financial turmoil and dozens of schools had D鈥檚 or F鈥檚 from the state. In 2018 and 2019, Miami-Dade received an A rating and had no failing schools. In 2012, the district received the , which recognized large systems showing progress, and Carvalho was named in 2014.

Arriving as an undocumented immigrant from Portugal as a teen, he worked in construction and restaurant jobs before entering college and changing career paths from pre-med to education.

The district, drawing on Carvalho鈥檚 dramatic background, noted that he 鈥渉as a story not unlike many of the students in L.A. Unified.鈥�

Katie Braude, CEO of parent advocacy group Speak UP, praised his fluency in Spanish and 鈥渆xperience in a district with a similar student population.”

鈥淐arvalho鈥檚 length of tenure in Miami-Dade is a positive contrast to LAUSD鈥檚 frequent leadership turnover in the last two decades,鈥� she said in a statement. 鈥淲e鈥檙e encouraged by his track record of strong education leadership, accountability and school turnaround.鈥�

Carvalho faces an uncertain environment on school choice in Los Angeles, where the charter school community has hit roadblocks to expansion. But in Miami, he for adapting to a growing school choice movement by offering a thriving array of magnet schools.

With Los Angeles authorizing 225 charter schools, the California Charter School Association is hoping his support of innovative school models 鈥� he founded a magnet school and named himself its principal 鈥� will translate to Los Angeles.

鈥淭here is no room for error in getting our current generation of students the educational supports and opportunities they need,鈥� CEO Myrna Castrej贸n said in a statement. 鈥淲e cannot be in denial that learning loss is real and that our kids are hurting.鈥�

Carvalho鈥檚 personal life has been more rocky than his professional one. In 2007, he received from a reporter, which likely cost him his first opportunity to be superintendent in Florida鈥檚 Pinellas County. Earlier this year, he was of infidelity on a now-deleted Instagram account.

But it was his public flirtation with the New York City job 鈥� and subsequent rejection of it on live T.V. 鈥� that brought Carvalho in for his greatest public scrutiny.

In what has been jokingly called 鈥淭he Carvalho Show,鈥� he turned down Mayor Bill de Blasio鈥檚 offer during a press conference, apparently swayed by adulation from a devoted Miami community that didn鈥檛 want him to leave.

But Noguera suggested that Carvalho likely rejected the New York job because he was also concerned about 鈥渕icromanaging from de Blasio.鈥� 

Unlike New York City, the Los Angeles district is not under mayoral control; rather, it has a paid, full-time school board and elections that draw millions in campaign donations. 

Some education advocates questioned whether a leader from outside the district has the deep connections and understanding of the community that Los Angeles needs. 

“There were several highly qualified candidates who have deep experience in the Los Angeles education system, strong relationships with the families, educators and community, and who share the lived experience of many Los Angeles students and families,鈥� said Ana Ponce, executive director of Great Public Schools Now, an advocacy group. 鈥淎 candidate without these qualities will need to quickly demonstrate a commitment to establishing authentic two-way relationships with all of us vested in the futures of Los Angeles students.”

Noguera agreed.

鈥淗e is going to need people around him who know L.A.,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥淲hat Carvalho showed in Miami is he can bring about steady improvement in a large, urban system.鈥�

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 蜜桃影视. 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.”