WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MARCH 5, 2020 13
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
WE OWE OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS OUR
GRATITUDE
Our police officers, firefighters,
EMTs, doctors, nurses and other
emergency personnel risk their
lives each and every day to protect
the people of our wonderful and
vibrant city.
These brave men and women know
full well that when they are coming
to work each day, there is a possibility
that they might not be returning
home to their families due to the
nature of their work.
They exhibit such professionalism,
courtesy and a very dedicated, caring
and compassionate attitude toward
their jobs, and for that this writer, on
behalf of all New Yorkers, wants to
commend them for all of their hard
work, perseverance and dedication.
Each of them are the true heroes
and heroines of this city.
We, as New Yorkers, all owe each
and every one of them our deepest
debt of gratitude. Please know that
you are always going to be in our
hearts, thoughts and prayers.
May God bless and keep all of you
safe from harm each and every day.
You’re the best of the best, now and
always!
John Amato,
Fresh Meadows
SNAPS
A SCENIC VIEW OF OAKLAND LAKE
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY FLORA SAVITZKY
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OP-ED
Being a chancellor
for all our children
BY RICHARD A. CARRANZA
You may know me as the leader
of New York City’s public school
system—it’s my most public role,
and one that is the subject of much discussion
in Queens and beyond.
But you may not know that long before
I was Chancellor, I was a social studies
and music teacher, and then a principal.
And underlying these professional callings
is my most important role: being a
father.
Being an educator and a parent makes
me understand on the most profound
level that families want what is best for
their children—because I want that, too.
I know that some Queens families
are concerned about the intention and
impact of our work. It’s my job to listen
to you, and to clarify our approach and
the ways it serves your children. And I
think it’s healthy to be frank and apologize
whenever I come up short, like I did
in January aft er a particularly contentious
District 26 Community Education
Council meeting.
Policy disagreements are inevitable in
a city as large and proudly committed to
education as ours, but I believe that the
most important things—our values—are
in sync. We all want our children to have
the high-quality education that will set
them up for success, from their earliest
years in school to college and beyond.
The DOE has set a bold agenda for the
future of the city’s public schools in order
to get this done. We call it Equity and Excellence
for All because we believe that
every child deserves to graduate with the
academic and social-emotional skills they
need to thrive in the 21st century.
Underpinning our work is the commitment
to set a high bar for every child.
This is excellence. And it means ensuring
every child has the supports they need to
reach that bar—this is equity.
Some students need more support
than others, and Mayor de Blasio and I
are committed to providing them, and
opening up opportunities to these
student communities that have been
profoundly underserved for decades.
We are focused on students who are
part of what we call the “opportunity
gap,” which includes an intersection of
students from every racial and ethnic
background. It includes students with
disabilities. Students who are homeless.
Students who are living in poverty. Students
who are English language learners.
Students who identify as a part of the
LGBTQ community. Students who have
less access to the kinds of opportunities
that lead to academic and life success. Yes,
the reality in this city is these students
are more oft en black and Hispanic, but
they are also Asian and white.
We will never champion a policy
that would include some students and
exclude others from reaching their full
potential.
So when we talk about the Specialized
High School test, or Gift ed and Talented
programs, or promoting diversity, we are
talking about expanding opportunities
for more students, many of whom never
historically ever had them.
We are not talking about taking things
away. And we are committed to moving
forward in a way that respects the voices
of our families. We have learned a great
deal from families in Queens about ways
to ensure they are seen and heard. We
are making real changes to how we
empower our school communities to
contribute their voices.
Discussions about expanding opportunity
can be uncomfortable. However,
it can have profoundly positive results.
Consider what challenging the status
quo and creating more opportunity has
already meant for the city’s families:
hundreds of thousands more kids in free,
full-day, high-quality pre-K; graduation
rates at an all-time high; AP for All and
Computer Science for All giving kids a
jumpstart into college and careers; and
much more.
The hallmark of this work is that it
applies to every student, no matter their
zip code. That’s because I am Chancellor
for all 1.1 million public school students,
millions of parents, and all 150,000-plus
educators across 1,800 schools.
In a system this large, it’s inevitable
that not everybody will agree on every
idea. My job is to steer the power of the
largest school system in the country, in
the greatest city in the world, to serve
every student.
I depend on partnerships with families
to do that. And I will always remain available
to the people we serve: to listen, to
learn from any missteps we may make, to
ensure families are part of the decisionmaking
process.
Because in spite of our diff erences, I
believe we share the same belief that
every single child, in every classroom,
in every New York City public school,
deserves a rigorous, inspiring, and nurturing
learning journey.
And we share the same bright vision: to
graduate students who are exceptional—
as scholars, professionals and, most importantly,
as New Yorkers. I look forward
to working with our 1.1. million families
to bring this vision to life.
Carranza is the New York City Schools
Chancellor.
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The views expressed in all letters and comments are not
necessarily those of this newspaper or its staff.
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