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New York City's Schools emphasize literacy, career pathways and maintaining class-size gains in budget testimony
Summary
New York City's chancellor updated state committees on city priorities, highlighting New York City Reads (science-of-reading rollout), New York City Solves (math initiative), accelerated expansion of early college and work-based learning, and ongoing efforts to meet class-size caps. The city warned that changes
New York City Department of Education leaders testified about progress in literacy and college-and-career programs and urged the state to avoid budget changes that would reduce the city's expected funding.
Top priorities cited: Chancellor Melissa Aviles Ramos and NYC DOE leaders outlined key city initiatives: - New York City Reads: the citywide rollout of research-based early literacy curriculum with embedded coaching and special emphasis on interventions for struggling readers. - New York City Solves: a math initiative now operating in several hundred secondary schools and the city's plan to adjust pacing and implementation based on teacher feedback. - College and career pathways: expansion of early college credit programs (dual enrollment, P-TECH and other models) and work-based learning that produced wage earnings for high-school learners. - Class-size compliance: the city described steps taken to meet statutory class-size caps, the additional funding it has provided locally and the remaining need for capital and operating investments to reach full compliance by 2028.
Funding warning: Chancellor Aviles Ramos warned that the governor's proposed change to the poverty input in the Foundation Aid formula would shrink New York City's state aid by roughly $350 million relative to the current formula, absent other changes; city officials asked the state to consider complementary fixes including the regional cost index and weights for students with high needs.
Other points: city leaders described continued work on school safety, mental-health investment, and the operational considerations of a statewide phone ban — noting many city schools already have policies in place but that start-up and recurring costs vary across schools.
Ending: The city requested that the Legislature and the governor move carefully on formula changes and to support investments in proven instructional initiatives, class size reduction and expanded college-and-career pathways.
