Assemblyman William Colton (D – Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) calls upon parents to voice their opinion on what kind of Chancellor NYC schools must have.

 “I believe that the next NYC schools Chancellor must be someone who will bring us all together by inspiring educational leadership that will motivate excellent academic standards, especially in the foundation skills needed to build future success and programs for all our school children, including more health and physical education programs to promote good health practices. Such a school leader must expand gifted and talented programs in every neighborhood, insist our schools strictly and fully implement the IEP for our special education programs for all our special needs children, select creative and top-quality remedial programs for those children underperforming grade standards, and provide the cultural arts, music and vocational programs for those children showing such talents and interests. The next School Chancellor must present a proven track record of raising educational academic bars while judging students by their merit and not by their social identity,” Colton stated.

 “A Chancellor of NYC schools must have a proven record of valuing the lowering of class sizes to better meet individual needs of students as well as keep them safe by providing the opportunity of increasing social distancing in smaller classes. We need a Chancellor who prioritizes a holistic approach to education which will include social workers, guidance counselors, and nurses as part of the educational professionals in each school. Hard work by students must be praised as positive conduct, and not be berated as a privilege,” Colton said.

 “A positive belief must be instilled in our school system that all children can be provided excellent education and that every child can learn if the system succeeds in reaching individual needs early in each child’s life cycle. Pre-K and full-day K must be considered essential components of our education system. And that Chancellor must have respect for all established education models, which demonstrate a benefit for children,” Colton continued.

Parents should begin now to make their voices heard on what positive qualities they are looking for in the next Chancellor so that we do not get a Chancellor, like the past two Chancellors, who merely seek diversity to cover-up ideological solutions to the real necessity of leadership in marshaling the resources and programs to help professional staff advance the individual educational and academic needs of each child,” Colton added.