There are several hot-button issues on the agenda this school year, including student use of cell phones and smaller class sizes, as nearly one million students return to the classroom.
In the coming years, students and parents can expect classes to be just a tad smaller. A state law requires the Department of Education to reduce class sizes across the board by 2028.
Banks, who joined an Eyewitness News Back To School Town Hall, says the city is meeting the requirement for now, they are going to need a lot more teachers over the coming years to keep class sizes down.
WABC-TV Back to School Town Hall with Chancellor David Banks
In 2023, class sizes averaged anywhere from 21 to 25 students from kindergarten through high school. That number was already a reduction from previous years. By 2028, lower grades will be capped at 20 students. For grades four through eight, a 23-student cap has been put in place and all high schools will have a maximum of 25 students per class.
Banks says the Department of Education is taking steps to hit those targets.
"We're going to need to hire an additional 10,000 to 12,000 more teachers in order for us to be in full compliance," he said. "There is a national teacher shortage. Where do you get an additional 10,000 to 12,000 teachers? Forget about how much money you have to pay. Where do you find them without lowering the standards?"
Cellphone restrictions also remain a hot topic. The DOE says about 350 schools have made the decision to restrict phones for students and another 500 schools are thinking about doing the same.
New York City officials say they will closely study the impact this school year and likely make a decision about whether or not to issue a blanket mandate after that.
Banks visited pre-K and 3-K classes at PS 28 on Thursday morning after the DOE opened up 1,500 new seats across the city to meet the demand for 3-K students.
The chancellor reaffirmed his top priority of reading proficiency as this is the first year all New York City schools will implement the NYC Reads initiative to focus on the fundamentals of strong reading skills.
Elementary school reading proficiency declined by more than 2% last year.
Meanwhile, to start the 2024 school year, at least 24 new school buildings have opened for the first day of school.
ALSO READ | As students head back to class, are schools ready to handle COVID-19?
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