Episode
Looking Into New York City Schools (18 min) | 07-12-26
- Podcast
- 77 WABC MiniCasts
- Published
- Jul 13, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1104
- Processing state
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Summary
Fernando Mateo and guest Michael Cohen interview former New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks to evaluate the successes and political hurdles of managing the nation’s largest school system. Banks identifies the "science of reading" and the NYC Reads initiative as his most vital contributions, arguing that returning to foundational literacy is the only way to reverse decades of educational stagnation and social promotion. The conversation explores the tension between educational reform and political interference, with Banks revealing that mayoral control and union-driven policies, such as mandated class sizes, often prioritize optics over teacher quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices