New York City schools chancellor addresses literacy initiatives

ASTORIA, Queens — The state of New York City public schools was the topic that its leader, Schools Chancellor David Banks, discussed in his second annual State of Our Schools address.

It occurred a week and a half after federal agents seized Banks’s phone, as well as that of his domestic partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, at their home.

That controversy was far in the background as the chancellor addressed education leaders, administrators, and teachers from the stage of a performing arts high school on Tuesday. His audience made clear that their focus was on Banks’s mission, and not his legal problems.

The chancellor, now in his third year heading the nation’s largest school district, was met with a standing ovation at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. It was a strong endorsement of his efforts so far in his tenure.

At the center of his educational focus, since he became chancellor, has been literacy. In his Tuesday morning presentation, he said that effort is growing in New York City public schools, in both its reading and math programs.

“We’ve expanded NYC Reads to every elementary school, and to every childhood classroom citywide,” Banks said, to applause, using the title of the school system’s literacy program.

He said that its math skills program is also growing. “We launched NYC Solves into 400 high schools, and approximately 100 middle schools,” Banks said.

The moves come a month after the city learned that its test scores for reading last year dropped in all racial and ethnic groups, in grades three through eight.

The chancellor, though, has pointed to a rise in literacy scores in the earliest grades as part of a reason to expand his programs.

Those include partnerships, especially for high schools and their students. About 30 high schools citywide have partnerships with colleges and offer university-level credits. Banks announced a new, historic early college high school partnership, set to open next academic year in southeast Queens.

“And check this out,” the chancellor said from the podium, “it’s called HBCU Early College Prep.”

It is set to be the first of its kind nationwide: a major city school district’s school paired with a historically Black college or university. In this case, the HBCU is Delaware State University.

The chancellor also talked a lot about artificial intelligence, both in his address and afterward, saying that it needs to be harnessed to help in education, and not be feared.

In a press gaggle after his presentation, Banks said that he’s set up a meeting with A.I. leaders, that he and his department are calling a technology council. The chancellor said that the tech council meeting will have about 30 A.I. leaders from Microsoft, IBM, universities, and other entities. Together, he said, they’ll start to craft A.I.-related school programs.

“By engaging these folks in this council,” Banks said, “they’re going to give us their best expertise.”

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