Latest news with #Aviles-Ramos
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NYC students tell schools chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos bullying and vaping are problems
After going on a city-wide listening tour, New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos says bullying and vaping are common concerns among students. Mayor Eric Adams made Aviles-Ramos the head of the city's public schools in September after the retirement of David Banks . During an appearance Sunday on "The Point with Marcia Kramer," Aviles-Ramos said an anti-bullying campaign is part of her signature "family connectors" program. "Our parents, our family connectors, are working with families to get them the resources they need and our young people are actually talking to other young people about the reasons for bullying. What happens when you're bullied? Why do you bully? What are the triggers? And then how can, using their own language, through social media and PSAs, how can they spread the message on why you shouldn't be bullying and what to do if you are bullied," she said. Students will help create the campaign's messaging and resources. "We know that, as adults, telling kids don't bully each other doesn't really work. But young people working together, we know that they get the message across, and there's impact," Aviles-Ramos said. On another front, the schools chancellor said an anti- vaping campaign is also making its way through city schools. "Bullying and vaping were two big concerns, and a lot of it came from the students, themselves," she said. "Some of the student-athletes were saying we see our peers vaping." Should New York schools ban cellphones? As Gov. Kathy Hochul pushes for a "bell-to-bell" ban on the devices , Aviles-Ramos says it's going to take a financial commitment from the state to make it work. "We are absolutely hoping to get money from the state to do it," she said. "When I was a principal, I collected cellphones. But what I've said to the state, and I've been very clear on this, is happy to comply with a mandate but we need the funding." Two schools in the Bronx have already implemented a cellphone ban -- and the students say they're benefiting . They tuck their devices into Yondr Pouches, magnetic bags that keep their phones out of sight and mind for the day. Aviles-Ramos said a system like that could work city-wide because the phones remain handy in case of an emergency. "When you've got 2,000, 3,000 cellphones that you have to get back to kids, it could be a little messy. So the magnetic pouches, that is our preferred method for schools, but that costs money. Those pouches are costly," she said.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NYC schools could lose federal funding over DEI initiatives
What's left of the Trump administration's Department of Education has threatened to pull federal funding from New York City schools over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives . State education commissioners were told in a letter that they have 10 days to do away with initiatives that the administration finds discriminatory or lose federal Title I funding, which the majority of city public schools receive for low-income student bodies. About $700 million in federal funding is dedicated to Title I schools in New York City each year. The exact number of Title I schools in the city is not known, but the math is easy to do. "If you have 60 percent [of] students receiving free or reduced price lunch, you qualify as a Title I school. And the citywide average is above 70 [percent]. Really hard to overstate how massive a cut that would be," said Michael Elsen-Rooney, with Chalkbeat NY. Federal money makes up, in most cases, less than 10% of education budgets across the country, which are mostly funded at the local and state level. This will mean even more pressure is on Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget for city schools, where there were already concerns about state cuts that may be coming. CBS News New York reached out to the education departments in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and spokespeople from all three are all saying they are reviewing the letter and will respond in due course. The news came Thursday as City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos was making her first signature announcement in her six months on the job . "We're here today to celebrate community, our families, our students who are going to be leading charges on wellness, on safety and on all the resources that exist across New York City. Diversity is a superpower here in New York City. We are always going to honor that. We are always going to make sure that we are serving every single child and family in New York City," Aviles-Ramos said. At Esperanza Prep in East Harlem, Aviles-Ramos introduced two new programs: An anti-bullying and anti-vaping campaign called New York City Public Schools Cares, and Family Connectors, a volunteer program for parents who can help other parents navigate the system. "We need to rely on our parent leaders to help connect our families to the resources," Aviles-Ramos said. The chancellor says she spent her first six months on the job listening in what her office has called the "Five Borough Listening Tour," and the concerns she heard from educators and families led to the launch of the two programs.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NYC chancellor takes aim at social challenges keeping kids out of school
NEW YORK — Teens are struggling with their mental health. Families are concerned about bullying, vaping and drug use. Students do not always feel safe commuting to school. Over two months late last year, the newly minted leader of New York City's public schools, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, held feedback sessions in each of the five boroughs. On Thursday, she shared her takeaways in a 24-page report along with the beginnings of a plan to tackle the issues families raised — a body of work she is calling 'NYCPS Cares.' 'Parents want to send their kids to school. If kids aren't going to school, there is a barrier keeping them from school,' Aviles-Ramos told the Daily News ahead of the announcement. 'Instead of, 'why haven't you sent your kids to school?' we're asking, 'what are the things that are keeping you from sending your kids to school? And 'how can we help you?'' She said her plans were influenced by her own childhood, when she lacked a proper jacket — but her family did not ask her school for help. She said she recently asked her mom why. 'I needed a coat. You put me in a Mets coat and we live in the Bronx,' she related. 'Why couldn't you just ask for some help? And she said, 'because I was so scared that if I went to the school and I asked for help, that they would think I wasn't a fit mother, and they would take you away from me'.' A modest launch of NYCPS Cares will involve students and their parents in helping to address underlying issues in schools. As part of the initial rollout, current public school parents will undergo five weeks of trainings at various city agencies to become 'family connectors' — who will help connect families at their schools with public benefits and services through the NYPD, and housing and youth agencies. No data or personal information will be collected. The school system aims to sign up 1,600 volunteers. Relying on unpaid parents, it requires no new city funding. 'This was a promise I made — that I wasn't going to bring in a bunch of new stuff and turn tables over that,' said Aviles-Ramos, who was thrust into the top post a month into the school year after her predecessor, David Banks, was forced to step down early amid a federal corruption probe. 'NYCPS Cares is an example of that. What are the existing resources? How do we pull them together and make sure that they're going to the right places?' The program will focus recruitment efforts in a dozen school districts where poor attendance and housing instability are particularly high. Close to 35% of students were considered 'chronically absent' last school year; before the pandemic, that rate typically hovered around a quarter of students. The same year, about 1 in 8 students were homeless or forced to live with extended family or friends because their parents could not pay the rent — a record-high as the city reckoned with an affordability crisis and the rise of migrant families living in shelters. The chancellor also plans to launch two student-led campaigns against bullying and vaping under the 'NYCPS Cares' umbrella. Forty teens so far have signed up for the anti-bullying drive, which will roll out as posters, PSAs and other student ideas next school year. The push against e-cigarettes is already starting in schools — including through spoken-word and theater performances. Bullying has been on the rise in city schools over the last several years. More than half of middle and high school students say kids bully each other at their schools, according to a 2024 annual survey. A data analysis by the education news source Chalkbeat found it was the highest level at any point in the past five years. In New York, 18.7% of high school students vaped in 2022, according to statewide health data.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos takes aim at social challenges keeping kids out of school
Teens are struggling with their mental health. Families are concerned about bullying, vaping and drug use. Students do not always feel safe commuting to school. Over two months late last year, the newly minted leader of New York City's public schools, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, held feedback sessions in each of the five boroughs. On Thursday, she shared her takeaways in a 24-page report along with the beginnings of a plan to tackle the issues families raised — a body of work she is calling 'NYCPS Cares.' 'Parents want to send their kids to school. If kids aren't going to school, there is a barrier keeping them from school,' Aviles-Ramos told the Daily News ahead of the announcement. 'Instead of, 'why haven't you sent your kids to school?' we're asking, 'what are the things that are keeping you from sending your kids to school? And 'how can we help you?'' She said her plans were influenced by her own childhood, when she lacked a proper jacket — but her family did not ask her school for help. She said she recently asked her mom why. 'I needed a coat. You put me in a Mets coat and we live in the Bronx,' she related. 'Why couldn't you just ask for some help? And she said, 'because I was so scared that if I went to the school and I asked for help, that they would think I wasn't a fit mother, and they would take you away from me'.' A modest launch of NYCPS Cares will involve students and their parents in helping to address underlying issues in schools. As part of the initial rollout, current public school parents will undergo five weeks of trainings at various city agencies to become 'family connectors' — who will help connect families at their schools with public benefits and services through the NYPD, and housing and youth agencies. No data or personal information will be collected. The school system aims to sign up 1,600 volunteers. Relying on unpaid parents, it requires no new city funding. 'This was a promise I made — that I wasn't going to bring in a bunch of new stuff and turn tables over that,' said Aviles-Ramos, who was thrust into the top post a month into the school year after her predecessor, David Banks, was forced to step down early amid a federal corruption probe. 'NYCPS Cares is an example of that. What are the existing resources? How do we pull them together and make sure that they're going to the right places?' The program will focus recruitment efforts in a dozen school districts where poor attendance and housing instability are particularly high. Close to 35% of students were considered 'chronically absent' last school year; before the pandemic, that rate typically hovered around a quarter of students. The same year, about 1 in 8 students were homeless or forced to live with extended family or friends because their parents could not pay the rent — a record-high as the city reckoned with an affordability crisis and the rise of migrant families living in shelters. The chancellor also plans to launch two student-led campaigns against bullying and vaping under the 'NYCPS Cares' umbrella. Forty teens so far have signed up for the anti-bullying drive, which will roll out as posters, PSAs and other student ideas next school year. The push against e-cigarettes is already starting in schools — including through spoken-word and theater performances. Bullying has been on the rise in city schools over the last several years. More than half of middle and high school students say kids bully each other at their schools, according to a 2024 annual survey. A data analysis by the education news source Chalkbeat found it was the highest level at any point in the past five years. In New York, 18.7% of high school students vaped in 2022, according to statewide health data.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC child care centers saved after ‘error' counting enrollment
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A 'clerical error' led to a discrepancy in enrollment numbers at child care centers abruptly told their leases would not be renewed in January, according to Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. The Department of Education initially decided not to renew five child care centers' leases due to low enrollment numbers, Gothamist reported. However, Nuestros Niños told PIX11 News the school had around 80% enrollment. Another child care center, Grand St. Settlement, said its enrollment was close to 100%. More Local News Aviles-Ramos and Mayor Eric Adams have since announced that the leases have been renegotiated and continued. In an interview with PIX11 News Monday, Aviles-Ramos confirmed there was a 'clerical error' counting attendance at the Nuestros Niños. However, she said attendance is still being considered at the Williamsburg daycare center. 'There are a number of criteria that we looked at, one of them is underenrollment. There was a discrepancy due to a clerical error, but that being said, there's still a discussion around full enrollment,' she said. Watch the video player for the full interview. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
