Dear New Yorkers,
One of our core pillars is to engage families as our true partners. You are the experts on your children and their education, and your involvement can help them thrive inside and outside of school. That is why I am encouraging you to take a leadership role in our public schools by applying to run for a seat on one of the City’s 36 Community or Citywide Education Councils (CCEC).
The Councils are made up of elected and appointed parent volunteers just like you. If you win a seat, you will play a vital role in shaping important decisions in your school district. For example, you could approve zoning lines or review improvements to your child’s school building. These are the kind of changes that make a real difference in the lives of our children.
To bring even more diversity to our Education Councils, I’m excited to share that for the first time ever, families with a child in a District 75 school or program can vote for a District 75 representative to sit on each local Council. This is a big win for our families, and I encourage eligible parents to run for a designated District 75 seat.
Our Family and Community Engagement team is providing a host of resources to walk you through the election and voting process. These include information sessions via Zoom in different languages and more details on the structure and roles of the Education Councils, eligibility guidelines, key dates, and Frequently Asked Questions. You can access all of this and submit your application at schools.nyc.gov/elections2023 through February 13.
As parents, I believe we all share a loving mission: to help young people flourish and succeed. When you run for a seat on an Education Council, you commit to being a voice for change in your child’s education. When you lend your voice to the important issues affecting our schools by voting and sharing your opinions with your CCEC representatives, you show your communities that you are part of the solution.
Please consider running for a Council seat and help put all our students on a path to the bright futures they deserve.
Soaring high,
David C. Banks
Chancellor
Apply to Kindergarten!
The kindergarten application for NYC children born in 2018 is open now, and the deadline to apply is January 20, 2023. This year, you can apply to all kindergarten programs––including Gifted and Talented (G&T) options––on the same application. Families can apply online at MySchools.nyc. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/Kindergarten.
Stay Connected: New York City Schools Account
We strongly urge all families to set up a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) to stay connected with your school, keep track of your child’s grades, and receive other important news and information such as alerts regarding building closures. Also, you can participate in the Community and Citywide Education Council elections through NYCSA. If you do not yet have a NYCSA account and want to learn more, visit schools.nyc.gov/nycsa.