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Interested Parties City Hall Mayor de Blasio Outlines a Vision for New York Citys Kids

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke to congregants at Riverside Church this morning about his vision for education. The speech highlighted an approach that focusses on improving all our schools. His vision includes a role for charter schools in improving the entire school system. And the Mayor highlighted an imminent victory for New York Citys children and parents with the funding for implementation of Universal Pre-K On Universal Pre-K New York City is on the verge of securing unprecedented funding for universal pre-k and afterschool. This will transform the lives of our children, their families and this city. Study after study shows that most brain development occurs in a childs earliest years. We will now be able to reach all children during those crucial years. The road to this achievement has been hard but worthwhile. Many people thought this would never happen. Its about to happen. Thanks to the people of this city and its leaders who fought for it. Charter Schools Repairing our educational system will take cooperation from all sectors of our city. The Administration has never and will never be against charter schools or any mechanism that advances educational opportunities. We must work together to ensure that all of our schools districts, charters and parochials are performing at their best and serving the needs of all students. The de Blasio Administration has taken great steps to work with educators, parents and others to create constructive solutions for all NYC kids and their families. Despite misinformation, Mayor de Blasio has never been against charters. But because charters only serve a small portion of NYC students, we cannot ignore

the remaining majority. As far as co-locations, the Administration has approved many. But we did not and will not approve a co-location that pushes out children with serious disabilities. Mayor de Blasio accepts full responsibility in failing to properly communicate the reasons for his actions, but he stands firmly by his decision to help improve our entire school system. Parents and Students Deserve Better For far too long, the interests of everyday New Yorkers and their children have been ignored. Improving our educational system is a pivotal area that we should all agree to work on together as the adults in the room. The de Blasio Administration is committed to securing pre-k and afterschool programs for all NYC children. And we are committed to creating solutions to repair our entire school system. We will continue to work with any and everyone who understands the fierce urgency of now to save our childrens lives. We thank all of the community leaders, parents, teachers, activists and elected officials that stood with us in the fight to improve our schools and secure pre-k and afterschool The Administration will take crucial steps to increase parental involvement, empower teachers and carve out long-term solutions for a problem that has plagued this city for far too long. Quality education can open a world of opportunities for a child; all NYC kids deserve this chance. The Administration will work with all of those who want to make this a reality. We know we can achieve this together.