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'Excited to move our system forward': New Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter to focus on reopening schools

During an exclusive interview with News 12, incoming New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter says she will focus on reopening schools, tackling the digital divide and working with teachers as the pandemic hit education hard.

News 12 Staff

Mar 4, 2021, 1:58 PM

Updated 1,372 days ago

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During an exclusive interview with News 12, incoming New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter says she will focus on reopening schools, tackling the digital divide and working with teachers amid the pandemic.
"What I can promise is that we will always center health and safety," Porter said. "I am a mama so I am not going to put anyone else's baby where I wouldn't put my own."
Porter most recently served as the Bronx executive superintendent. She now becomes the first Black woman to hold the position of New York City schools chancellor.
Porter said the city's school system has done a "phenomenal job" implementing proper safety measures across its schools.
One of the biggest issues Porter will face right away is the digital divide. Just this week, the company in charge of advanced placement testing said it would not let students take the tests using city-issued iPads.
"We are definitely disappointed with the College Board decision and we are looking forward to them reconsidering and really rethinking that," Porter said. "But I just want to acknowledge the way that communities have come together around the digital divide. First of all, we have put 500,000 devices in the hands of young people. We have yesterday, I saw our borough president delivering Chromebooks to a school in the Bronx and this is a moment the digital divide has to be closed by everyone."
Porter says the big message is to get everyone involved.
"I am just excited to do it, excited to step up to the plate and excited to move our system forward, but together," said Porter.