Exclusive Interview with Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Exclusive Interview with Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos

In this special back-to-school episode of P.S. Weekly, New York City schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos shared her thoughts on pressing education issues including the cellphone ban, restorative justice, mental health support for students, and whether she’d encourage her middle school daughter to take the Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT. This is a video-first episode. Watch on YouTube [https://youtu.be/cWWsh7sz4j0?si=2BC_0bvomkSWOvXu]. Student journalists Roberto Bailey, Aponi Kafele, and Autumn Wynn also pressed the chancellor on her commitment to the city’s Journalism for All initiative and what students can do if they don’t feel their schools are sufficiently academically rigorous. Cover Photo: Dulce M. Marquez Videography: Christian Williams Fernandez and Kevin Jones Editing: Taylor McGraw Special thanks: Alex Zimmerman Recorded on August 12, 2025 Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2330466/open_sms] P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p-s-weekly/id1736780869] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HJgMu2UQOpG1kDGmSwAiv?si=e51af3c43ede4020]. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat [https://chalkbeat.org] and The Bell [https://bellvoices.org/], made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

What Do NYC Teens Think of the Mayoral Candidates?

What is happening with the youth vote during this year’s mayoral race? Are New York City’s young people tuning in? Are the candidates reaching out to young voters? And why hasn’t education been a centerpiece of the mayor’s race so far? Producers Jojo Fofana, a senior at Fordham High School for the Arts, and Roberto Bailey, a junior at Hunter College High School, examine the 2025 mayoral race and the role of young people in the election. They dig into the candidates and their positions, what they have to say directly to students, and why only 18% of young voters actually cast ballots.  You’ll hear from the candidates who sent one-minute videos to Chalkbeat with their direct appeal to young New Yorkers, and you’ll hear the producers share their candid reactions to these clips. And you’ll also hear what Jojo and Roberto wished the candidates would have tackled head on. In a conversation with Chalkbeat’s Amy Zimmer and Alex Zimmerman, you’ll learn more about the challenges of getting the candidates to focus on issues touching the Education Department — the city’s largest agency.  Ultimately, P.S. Weekly’s final episode of the season is a call to action, offering tips on how young people can register to vote, research the candidates, and connect with youth-focused organizations.  To find out more about how to register, visit Vote.org [http://vote.org], and to learn more about how NYC high school students can get involved, check out YVote.  [https://www.yvoteny.org/] If you want to find out more about the candidates views on important education issues, you can find the candidates’ responses to seven critical education questions Chalkbeat asked them [https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/mayoral-race-2025/]or you can read a cheat sheet here. [https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/06/13/nyc-mayoral-candidates-education-platform-school-system-overview/]  If you want to see which candidates best align with your views, check out the “Meet your mayor” quiz [https://qa-projects.thecity.nyc/2025-meet-your-mayor/main/?utm_source=Chalkbeat&utm_campaign=ea623022c5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_06_12_03_32&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-ea623022c5-1297057965&mc_cid=ea623022c5&mc_eid=b741a24922]from our friends at THE CITY and Gothamist in which they asked the mayoral hopefuls where they stand on issues such as affordable housing and public safety. Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2330466/open_sms] P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p-s-weekly/id1736780869] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HJgMu2UQOpG1kDGmSwAiv?si=e51af3c43ede4020]. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat [https://chalkbeat.org] and The Bell [https://bellvoices.org/], made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

Preview: Young New Yorkers and The Mayor’s Race

The race for New York City’s next mayor is in full swing, but do teens know what’s going on? Next week on P.S. Weekly, student journalists Roberto Bailey and Jojo Fofana are delving into the upcoming primary election. They’ve been digging into who the candidates are, what their positions are, what they have to say directly to students, and trying to figure out why only 18% of 18-29 year-olds actually vote. Dropping in your feed, Tuesday, June 17th. Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2330466/open_sms] P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p-s-weekly/id1736780869] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HJgMu2UQOpG1kDGmSwAiv?si=e51af3c43ede4020]. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat [https://chalkbeat.org] and The Bell [https://bellvoices.org/], made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

Are NYC Schools Preparing Future Voters?

Why do so many young people lack the fundamentals of civics knowledge [https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/civics/new-study-finds-alarming-lack-of-civic-literacy-among-americans]? Is the education system adequately preparing future generations for active participation in democracy? Do New York City teens know there’s a big mayoral race coming up — and can they name any of the candidates? Producers Jasmyn Centeno, a senior at Uncommon Leadership Charter High School, and Annie He, a senior at John Dewey High School, tackle these questions head on. They talk to their P.S. Weekly peers who are focusing on the upcoming mayor’s race to hear more about Gen Z’s behavior: They may actively repost social media content about politics, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into voter action.  Jenna Ryall, the Education Department’s director of Civics for All, explains the city’s efforts to get young people to “practice” democracy before they’re expected to participate as adults. The goal, she says, is to help students engage in civil conversation and make sense of the information around them.  Civics education isn’t about teaching students what to think, Ryall said. “We are teaching them how to think.” Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2330466/open_sms] P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p-s-weekly/id1736780869] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HJgMu2UQOpG1kDGmSwAiv?si=e51af3c43ede4020]. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat [https://chalkbeat.org] and The Bell [https://bellvoices.org/], made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

One Student’s Struggle with “School Refusal” After COVID

It’s been five years since COVID shut down New York City schools. How are kids faring with the aftermath? How do they talk about the pandemic – or not?  The fallout is often framed around “learning loss” or dips in test scores, but what about some of the social impacts, like the quiet shifts in students’ personalities or the mounting mental health struggles many are still confronting?  Producers Mateo Tang O’Reilly, from Central Park East High School, and Katelyn Melville, from the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts, explore the ripple effects that continue to weigh on young people’s lives, such as “school refusal,” which is when severe anxiety or other mental health issues prevent students from attending class.  Chalkbeat’s Amy Zimmer discusses how the prolonged isolation exacerbated school refusal, highlighting the challenges schools face in getting kids back into the classroom. Anika Merkin, a Chalkbeat Student Voices Fellow, shares her personal experience as someone whose struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, led to school refusal, and how she managed to do the hard work in therapy to turn things around. Her story serves as a reminder to hold onto empathy and grace for the students whose lives continue to be profoundly touched by the pandemic.  Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2330466/open_sms] P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p-s-weekly/id1736780869] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HJgMu2UQOpG1kDGmSwAiv?si=e51af3c43ede4020]. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat [https://chalkbeat.org] and The Bell [https://bellvoices.org/], made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.