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District 28 superintendent frames reading push, attendance goals and arts funding for 2025
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Blake told the Community Education Council that the district will implement flexible pacing in the new reading curriculum, expand professional learning, and target attendance improvements; he also highlighted arts grants and school profiles shown on national television.
Superintendent Dr. Blake addressed Community Education Council District 28 at the Jan. 8 meeting, previewing citywide and district priorities for the 2025 portion of the 2024–25 school year and urging families and staff to support reading initiatives and improved attendance.
Dr. Blake said the city’s New York City Reads rollout requires support and flexibility at the school level. “We’re allowing up to two weeks of flexibility in pacing to meet students’ unique needs while maintaining curriculum alignment,” Dr. Blake said, adding that the district will streamline assessments and expand professional learning for teachers and leaders to support instructional prioritization.
The superintendent stressed the role families can play in reading development, offering practical suggestions such as reading aloud, modeling reading and discussing vocabulary at home. He tied those practices to broader academic and social benefits, citing research on memory, focus and vocabulary development.
Dr. Blake also reviewed attendance goals. He said District 28’s year-to-date attendance stood at 92.1 percent compared with 90.7 percent citywide at the same point last year; the district’s interim objective is to reach 92.7 percent by June and to reduce chronic absenteeism from 35 percent to 31 percent over the school year.
On arts funding, the superintendent announced that multiple District 28 schools received city council grants for arts programming. “They have received over $16,000,” he said, listing recipients that include PS 50, PS 55, PS 99, PS 174, PS 175, PS 220, PS 349 and PS 354. He also commended PS 117 for a Today Show feature that highlighted student kindness initiatives and said PS 174 recently opened a 403-seat addition and a new main lobby.
Blake praised principals and staff for local accomplishments and encouraged parents and community members to stay engaged with their schools and the district office. His remarks closed with an invitation to ask questions later in the meeting and a note that the district is offering supports aimed at helping every scholar achieve reading proficiency.
Dr. Blake’s full remarks emphasized collaborative work among district teams, principals, teachers and families to stabilize leadership and extend instructional supports across the district.
