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New Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter will continue efforts to improve digital divide among city students

News 12's Kristie Reeter sat down with incoming New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter to discuss how the city plans to tackle the digital divide and the future of education.

News 12 Staff

Mar 4, 2021, 12:33 PM

Updated 1,371 days ago

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News 12's Kristie Reeter sat down with incoming New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter to discuss how the city plans to tackle the digital divide and the future of education.
Porter says safety is going to be a priority, like ensuring there's PPE in every school and that social distancing requirements are in place.
Porter also touched on the issue this week about how that the company in charge of Advanced Placement testing wouldn't let students take the test using city-issued iPads.
"Well first, we are definitely disappointed with the College Board decision and we are looking forward to them reconsidering and really rethinking that," Porter says. "But I just want to acknowledge the way that communities have come together around the digital divide. First of all, we have put 500,000 devices in the hands of young people…yesterday I saw our BP delivering Chromebooks to a school in the Bronx, and this is a moment the digital divide has to be closed by everyone."
Porter is a parent and has worked as a teacher, a principal, a superintendent and now will serve as the New York City Schools chancellor. She says it's an honor, but one that she doesn't take lightly.
"We haven't been represented in so many leadership spaces, and I think it's just important to acknowledge," Porter says. "You know, I'm a big fan of our vice president and she often talks about what her mom told her about make sure when you're the first, to make sure you're not the last, and I think it's super important to demonstrate to young women that there's a place for you and the seat is getting warmed up, and there are amazing women that are doing amazing things so that you can."