New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Melissa Aviles-Ramos, a veteran of New York City Public Schools and a lifelong educator, as the new public schools’ chancellor, effective January 1, 2025, after Chancellor David A. Banks’ retirement.
Aviles-Ramos is the highest-ranking Latina and Spanish-speaking leader in New York City Public Schools and currently serves as deputy chancellor for family and community engagement and external affairs. She brings a wealth of experience fostering community engagement and supporting families to her new role, having joined New York City Public Schools in 2007 as an English teacher, and then went on to serve as an assistant principal, principal (where she brought up graduation rates by 60 percent in just two years), deputy superintendent, acting superintendent, and education administrator. Her efforts have included creating advisory councils, launching community-based projects, and spearheading initiatives that address critical issues affecting students and their families.
“Today, I could not be prouder to announce somebody who possesses a fierce commitment to public education as our next public schools chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos,” said Mayor Adams. “Melissa is a veteran of New York City Public Schools and a lifelong educator. She brings a wealth of experience fostering community engagement and supporting families to her new role, serving in numerous roles in our public school system, and I believe she is the right woman for the moment. I thank Chancellor Banks for his tireless dedication to New York City families and what we have accomplished together over the last nearly three years. From transforming how our kids read, to increasing math and graduation scores, instituting nation-leading universal dyslexia screenings, and dramatically expanding access to early childhood education, amongst other major achievements, we have delivered for New York City families under Chancellor Banks and we look forward to that continued leadership under Chancellor Aviles-Ramos.”
“Becoming the chancellor for the nation’s largest school district is the ultimate job for a lifelong educator,” said incoming Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “As a former teacher and a mom of a public-school student, I believe strongly in our work and in maintaining stability through this transition. Under my leadership, we will continue to strengthen our support for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, improve our city’s literacy and math proficiency rates, help our older students forge pathways to a bright future, and keep our schools safe. I am so grateful for Chancellor Banks’ leadership, and I thank Mayor Adams for entrusting me with continuing the work that began under his tenure.”
