Meisha Porter has begun her first day as chancellor of New York City schools, the nation's largest public school district.
CBS2 New York reports that Porter toured PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Monday morning.
She was escorted to various classrooms by two students who showed her the reality of attending school in a pandemic – from where families pick up grab-and-go lunches, to a class where a teacher has to navigate in-person and virtual learning at the same time.
Porter's most immediate responsibilities include planning to reopen high schools next week. She’s also creating a strategy around how the district will provide summer school this year.
“This summer, we have to think about multiple groups of students and what they’ve experienced and what they need to build summer as a bridge back to opening in September,” Porter says.
Porter was named last month to replace Chancellor Richard Carranza, who resigned after serving in the job for about three years. She becomes the first Black woman to lead the New York City school system.
A lifelong New Yorker, Porter has worked as a teacher, principal and administrator in city schools. Before her promotion, she was serving as Bronx Executive Superintendent.
Video from CBS2 New York:
