NYC Reads Campaign Launched to Boost Student Literacy
Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement Melissa Aviles-Ramos Discusses Available Resources for Public School Families
Navagating the public school system can be tough, but the NYC Department of Education (DOE) has resources available for families to help make the process a little easier. Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement Melissa Aviles-Ramos is putting it out there that these resources, including language access, parent leadership opportunities, and community education councils, are available and accessible to public school families throughout the city.
Languages Access
Aviles-Ramos spoke with amNewYork Metro about some of these services and how she feels they help public school students and their families thrive. She emphasized that the office is designed to help families who communicate in languages other than English, offering document translation for health forms and notices, emergency contact forms, letters, and flyers in nine languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. Parents can request to have documents such as these sent home with students in one of these nine languages, in addition to English.
Interpretation Services
In addition to document translation, the office also provides interpretation services for central events, such as enrollment, parent engagement events, and community education council town halls, as well as over the phone and in-person interpretation to help schools communicate with families.
NYC Reads Ambassadors Program
The NYC Reads Ambassadors Program is an initiative launched in 2023 by Mayor Eric Adams and Public Schools Chancellor David Banks to encourage reading and make literacy a core priority in public schools. Parents can participate in the program by becoming reading ambassadors in their local communities, where they can learn how to build literacy skills with their children at home and share reading events in their neighborhoods.
Parental Involvement
Parents can participate in many ways, too, Aviles-Ramos said. For example, parents and families can ask children about their work, attend school open houses, and read at home together. The DOE also partners with local businesses to bring NYC Reads into communities, creating fun “reading hubs” where children can read and enjoy story time in barber shops, shops, and other non-traditional reading locales outside of school, libraries, and the home.
Community Education Councils (CECs)
CECs are essentially the equivalent of school boards, Aviles-Ramos said. CECs act as policy advisory boards that have various responsibilities, including reviewing and evaluating district educational programs and holding public hearings on an array of topics. There is a total of 32 CECs in the city, one for each community school district representing pre-K through eighth-grade students within its district. There are citywide councils for high schools and special education, too.
Conclusion
The NYC Reads Campaign aims to encourage reading and make literacy a core priority in public schools. The available resources and programs, such as languages access, interpretation services, and parent leadership opportunities, are designed to help families and students thrive. With the help of the community, including local businesses, the DOE hopes to bring reading into communities and provide a strong foundation for a lifetime of literacy.
FAQs
What is the NYC Reads Ambassadors Program?
The NYC Reads Ambassadors Program is an initiative to encourage reading and make literacy a core priority in public schools. Parents can participate in the program by becoming reading ambassadors in their local communities.
What resources are available to public school families?
Language access, interpretation services, parent leadership opportunities, and community education councils are just a few of the resources available to public school families.
What is a Community Education Council (CEC)?
CECs are policy advisory boards that review and evaluate district educational programs and hold public hearings on an array of topics.
Can I request language access resources?
Yes, parents can request language access resources, including document translation and interpretation services, by contacting the DOE.
How can I get involved in the NYC Reads Campaign?
You can get involved in the NYC Reads Campaign by becoming a reading ambassador, attending reading events, or volunteering in your local community.
