Statement From Chancellor David C. Banks on the Departure of Deputy Chancellor Dr. Kara Ahmed

NEW YORK – New York City Public Schools Chancellor David C. Banks made the following statement today regarding the Deputy Chancellor for Early Childhood Education Dr. Kara Ahmed:

"Dr. Kara Ahmed has been with me since Day 1 of this administration, and I am immensely grateful to her for her service, dedication, and unparalleled passion for high-quality, equitable Early Childhood Education. Her passion and commitment to our youngest students and families began prior to this administration at the LYFE program and was evident every single day and in every single interaction. She immediately rolled up her sleeves to both stabilize and strengthen this critically important and incredibly complex body of work. Her achievements include removing barriers and delays to provider payments, shifting over 7,000 seats to better meet family and community need, and establishing over 800 special education pre-K seats, to name a few. She has also been a staunch advocate for literacy, my number one priority, launching NYC Reads in over 90% of our Early Childhood portfolio and ensuring we took a holistic view of teaching reading, one that begins at birth. I have been consistently impressed by the work happening in our early childhood classrooms across the city; the caliber of teaching and learning is truly incredible, and that is a testament to Dr. Ahmed’s vision and drive. I want to thank Dr. Ahmed for her contributions to New York City Public Schools and wish her the best of luck in this next endeavor, where she’ll be able to extend her impact even more widely across the country."