NYC students head back to school, officials announce changes for smoother, safer year
NEW YORK -- It was the first day of school for New York City's nearly one million public school students, and also for Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks
The two are finally getting the chance to turn campaign promises to overhaul the education system into reality.
As CBS2's political reporter Marcia Kramer, when Adams campaigned for mayor, he claimed the schools fail 65% of Black and Brown students, including himself. He was dyslexic. It went undiagnosed until he went to college, and in his early years he walked into a classroom to find the word "dummy" scrawled on the back of a chair.
Thursday, he got a chance to fix that.
Banks was clapping as students began arriving at PS 161 in the Bronx for day one of the 180-day school year, admitting he, too, had butterflies.
"It is my first day of school as chancellor, and I didn't get any sleep last night," Banks said.
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But it was also a day he and Adams had been waiting for, because PS 161 is one of two schools offering a first-of-its-kind program for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The school is a top priority for Adams, who suffered from dyslexia.
"This place will serve as a beacon and a blueprint if you will for students suffering from print-based disabilities and other challenges," Banks said.
Parent Lastassia Hargrove says she's thrilled her 8-year-old son Carter Miller can take advantage of it.
"I'm so proud that they're going to have it here at school," Hargrove said. "I know it's going to be great."
Adams reflected on the significance of the new programs, since in the past many minority left school without skills.
"We have betrayed children," Adams said.
The mayor saw a lot of himself in Carter Miller.
"This is Eric. This is Eric, Eric Adams. This powerful mom could be my mother," Adams said. "We just learn differently, that's all, because of that different skill, you grow up from being dyslexic... to being mayor."
There will be many more changes.
"There will now be a Gifted and Talented development program in every school district in every school district in every borough," Adams said "We have put $100 into scholarship accounts for every New York City kindergarten... meatless Mondays, we are expanding on that to plant-based Fridays."
The schools also opened with a new concern about safety. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell was with the mayor on an opening day. That's a first, and student at LaGuardia High School told CBS2 they were shown videos about security drills.
"What did they tell you?" Kramer asked.
"They were telling us, you know, we've got to hide," said student Javon Beckford-McKrenzie.
"So where do you hide?" Kramer asked.
"The closet. The corridors. Away from the doors and windows," McKrenzie said.
The mayor broke down the specifics as to how he and his administration plan to not only make this academic year a better one for students and parents, but also a safer one.
"If you were on the subway this morning, they were a little fuller. If you were driving, you saw a lot more traffic in the streets," Banks said.
Inside the auditorium at Juan Ponce de Leon school, city leaders gathered to discuss what's different this school year.
In addition to changes for students, officials talked about changes for parents. Such as, a new push alert system that will send emergency updates straight to their cellphones, in an effort to keep mom and dad in the loop.
"Every parent will be able to sign up for this and get real-time responses on what's happening in the schools," said Banks.
Security is also top of mind. The district is adding 200 school safety agents, with plans to add at least 750 by the end of the academic year.
"The presence of the school safety agents in schools across this city is paramount, to have that connection. They are part of the police department," Sewell said.
"Those school safety officers -- overwhelmingly women and women of color -- they're more than providing safety. They talk to the children, they nurture them, the identify problems," Adams added.
Also touched upon Thursday, getting children to and from school. The MTA is offering free MetroCards to all students in grades K through 12.