As the new academic year gets underway across the five boroughs, senior leaders from New York City Public Schools gathered to address community concerns and outline their administrative vision during the annual Back to School Town Hall broadcast by Eyewitness News. The forum provided families, educators, and community members an opportunity to gain direct insights into the operational and instructional priorities governing the country's largest public school district.
The televised discussion was moderated by *Eyewitness News This Morning* anchors Shirleen Allicot and Pedro Rivera. Throughout the event, the broadcast team facilitated questions touching upon the wide array of challenges and opportunities facing urban education, guiding a panel of top city officials as they detailed their plans to support students, enhance safety, and maintain academic standards across every district.
At the center of the panel was New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, who assumed leadership of the school system in 2026. Bringing more than two decades of professional experience within education, Chancellor Samuels also brings a personal connection to the role as a parent of children enrolled in the city's public school system. His background has helped shape a platform centered on elevating student achievement and establishing environments where all learners are positioned to succeed.
Chancellor Samuels emphasized that modern schools must balance safety with instructional rigor and authentic integration. His educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that classroom experiences should actively reflect the rich cultural fabric of New York City. By fostering mutual respect, cultural understanding, and high expectations, the administration aims to equip young people with the academic foundation and social tools necessary to excel in higher education, future careers, and civic life.
Executing the district’s complex operational agenda is First Deputy Chancellor Danielle Giunta, a veteran school administrator with more than twenty years of leadership experience in instruction, operational management, and community engagement. Giunta plays a central role in translating the district’s broad instructional goals into functioning classroom practices and administrative policies across all five boroughs.
Giunta’s expansive portfolio encompasses several crucial divisions within the central department, including District Planning, Enrollment, New School Development & Design, Policy & Evaluation, Student Pathways, and Academics & Instruction. By coordinating these key offices, her leadership aims to provide coherent district-wide support, streamline administrative procedures, and foster sustainable improvements in student learning outcomes.
A vital aspect of Giunta’s responsibility is the oversight and professional development of the system's 44 community and high school superintendents. Through close supervision of these regional leaders, the First Deputy Chancellor works to ensure that strategic guidance, instructional support, and district-wide initiatives are consistently implemented across individual neighborhood schools and localized supervisory networks.
Addressing the specialized needs of diverse student populations, Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti joined the town hall to represent the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning, commonly known as DIAL. Foti heads an extensive organizational infrastructure dedicated to removing structural barriers to learning and ensuring equitable access to high-quality instruction for all children, regardless of background or physical and cognitive needs.
The scale of Foti's division is substantial, reflecting the demographic realities of the school system where nearly four out of every ten students are classified as multilingual learners, children with disabilities, or both. Her administrative oversight includes the Special Education Office, the Office of Multilingual Learners, Committees on Special Education, Committees on Preschool Special Education, and District 75 specialized schools, positioning inclusive learning at the center of the system’s overarching mission.
School security and student well-being were also highlighted during the forum by Mark Rampersant, the Chief of Safety and Prevention Partnerships. Bringing over 25 years of institutional experience within New York City Public Schools, Rampersant is responsible for maintaining the comprehensive safety infrastructure that safeguards hundreds of thousands of students and staff members each day.
Rampersant explained that his division oversees an integrated safety model extending far beyond physical hardware to incorporate behavioral health interventions, threat assessment frameworks, gang prevention, and cyber safety education. By utilizing clear protocols and coordinated emergency response mechanisms, the office seeks to prepare individual campuses to manage both emerging safety risks and day-to-day security challenges.
Under Rampersant's leadership, the safety apparatus seeks to balance rigorous accountability with compassionate, proactive care. His team focuses heavily on positive school climate initiatives and restorative practices, utilizing data-informed decision-making to address the root causes of conflict and behavioral issues before they escalate into disruptive or dangerous incidents.
The forum also highlighted the crucial intersection between K-12 schooling and foundational early childhood programs through the participation of Emmy Liss, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care. Liss has spent more than a decade guiding early education policy, specializing in the design and implementation of large-scale early childhood systems across municipal agencies.
Liss focused on the city’s ongoing efforts to build accessible, equitable child care infrastructure through strategic planning and multi-agency cooperation. By aligning early education initiatives with broader municipal services, her office aims to expand access to high-quality early care, establishing an educational foundation for children long before they enter the formal K-12 pipeline.
Together, the educational leaders underscored that navigating the complexities of the nation's largest municipal school system requires continuous collaboration between administrators, families, and civic partners. By uniting around shared goals of safety, inclusion, and academic excellence, city leadership reaffirmed its commitment to supporting students and staff throughout the coming school year.
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