Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos Delivers 2025 State of Our Schools Address

Highlights Include an Expansion of NYCPS Cares, New Systems of Supports Under NYC Reads, New AI Framework, And Landmark Results Of This Year's Principal Satisfaction Survey

NEW YORK - New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today unveiled a series of transformative initiatives designed to accelerate academic progress and strengthen leadership across the system at her first State of Our Schools address. In this address, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos highlighted a key new expansion to NYCPS Cares, a suite of signature initiatives to address systemic inequities in schools, new systems of support for literacy development, a new four-part framework for AI, and the landmark results of this year's Principal Satisfaction Survey, administered in Spring 2025.

Following this announcement, a new dashboard will be available here highlighting the agency's progress towards critical work, including increasing school safety, wellness, and mindfulness, improving literacy and math proficiency, and supporting vulnerable populations, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and newcomers.

"From day one, our administration has been committed to a 360-degree approach to education - one that supports the whole child, inside and outside the classroom, from birth through graduation and beyond. Chancellor Aviles-Ramos embodies this mission: the first in her family to graduate high school and college, a teacher, principal, superintendent, and now chancellor of the largest school district in the country," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "Under her leadership, we launched NYCPS Cares to put safety, wellness, and family support at the forefront, and today, we introduced a new four-part framework to ensure our schools use Artificial Intelligence responsibly and equitably. Her journey proves that if a girl from the Bronx can lead the nation's largest school system, and a boy once ashamed to read in class can become mayor of New York City, then anything is possible."

"Our job, as a community, is to ignite that spark across every NYC Public School. This year, we are emphasizing deep learning, intellectual curiosity, and academic rigor-because we know that with high expectations and the right supports, every child is capable," said Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, "This year is about lighting sparks-and a spark is not an end in and of itself. A spark represents a catalyst, a beginning. And we are just getting started."

NYCPS Cares

This past spring, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos announced the launch of NYCPS Cares, a suite of signature initiatives that puts safety, wellness, and support at the forefront through student-led anti-bullying and anti-vaping campaigns and the creation of Family Connectors.

This fall, NYCPS Cares will include the expansion of Every Child and Family is Known (ECFIK) in partnership with the New York City's Children's Cabinet, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the Department of Social Services, and the Administration for Children's Services. Through ECFIK, caring adults in schools are connected with children and their families residing in DHS shelters, taking time to check in on students daily, as well as families on a weekly basis. Previously, this initiative was piloted in schools in the Bronx and is now being expanded to connect students with caring adults in125 schools across the five boroughs.

Additionally, NYCPS has designated an inaugural NYCPS Cares cohort of 119 schools from across the five boroughs. These schools will receive intensive support, including training for staff, students, and parents on trauma-informed care, with plans to reach up to 500 families. An additional 250 Family Connectors will also be trained to ensure this work is disseminated even further.

Supports for Literacy Development

This summer, NYCPS celebrated tremendous gains in literacy proficiency, with state test score results improving across all grades and subgroups, but the work continues on. This school year, NYCPS has launched new standardized systems for educators to support students who require interventions.

To better support English Language Learners in their English literacy development, NYCPS is piloting the use of new English Language Development curricula in 80 schools. Schools using HMH as their core NYC Reads curriculum will use the English 3D curriculum, while schools using EL and Wit and Wisdom will use National Geographic Reach Higher.

This fall, NYCPS rolled out a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework to ensure all students receive the right interventions at the right time. Launched in partnership with UFT and CSA, educators now have an approved list of evidence-based interventions that can be used to support struggling readers. Educators will also receive professional learning and additional support from the Central level.

AI Framework

Today's address also announced a new four-part framework to ensure responsible engagement with Artificial Intelligence tools in the classroom. This framework, which was developed in concert with industry experts, and with close attention on data privacy, focuses on these four goals:

1. Prepare students for AI-powered lives and careers;
2. Teach students and staff to use AI responsibly;
3. Mitigate bias and ensure cultural responsiveness when using AI; and
4. Leverage AI to advance operational and instructional efficiencies.

Details on the roll out and related pilots will be forthcoming.

Principal Satisfaction Survey

As she approaches her one-year mark as the leader of the nation's largest school district, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos has already received high marks from principals through the Principal Satisfaction Survey (PSS). This year, 58 percent of principals responded to the survey - up four percent from last year - to share their deep faith in current leadership, demonstrating a strong alignment between school leaders and NYCPS' strategic vision.

Key findings include:

• Over 90 percent of school leaders trust Chancellor Aviles-Ramos at her word and view her as an effective manager;
• Over 90 percent of school leaders are satisfied with the chancellor's oversight and resource management; and
• Nearly 85 percent of school leaders are satisfied with curriculum.

The increased participation points to an upward trend of school leaders' involvement and receptiveness of new leadership. Full details can be found here.

Contact: Chancellor's Press Office [email protected]