It's the Bayon Lera Show on WNY Sec. Good morning everyone. New York City Schools Chancellor,

David Banks is our first guest today with a new school year just a few days old and there are

so many things we can talk about. Students leaving the system, asylum seekers students entering the

system, can we freak out about two few students and too many students at the same time? Sure we

can. Reducing class size under a new state law is on the docket and is supposed to begin getting

phased in this year. Helping students make up for falling behind during the pandemic school closures

is on the docket. The transition from whole language to phonics in teaching reading is happening.

Did you hear the Columbia University Teachers College is even disbanding the program

that gave us the system now deemed a failure. Integration or lack thereof is an issue. Mayor

Adams across the board budget cuts to pay for migrant services is an issue and a school bus strike

maybe. So we have lots to talk about. Chancellor Banks we always appreciate when you come on

with us. Welcome back to WNY Sec. Thanks so much Brian. Pleasure to be here. And listeners we have

the chancellor generously with us till the bottom of the hour full half hour here and we can take

some phone calls for him. Parents of current New York City public school students you will get

first priority on the phones. I'll say it again. Parents of current New York City public school

students you will get first priority on the phones call with your questions 212433 WNYC 212433 9692 you

can also text the question to the same number 212433 9692 or tweet at Brian. So chancellor just

threw a lot of things at the listeners that we might talk about in the intro but let me not obscure

whatever you think the big picture is going into the school year is the way is there a way you

describe job one right now. Yeah job one is reading Brian 51% of the kids in New York City public

schools do not read on grade level that is not purely a New York problem that is a national problem

80% of the kids in the city of Chicago do not read on grade level and a whopping 91% don't read on

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