Mamdani Appoints Kamar Samuels as New York City Schools Chancellor
At a Glance:
- Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Kamar Samuels as NYC Schools Chancellor.
- Current Role: Manhattan Superintendent, District 3 (Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, parts of Harlem)
- Background: Nearly 20 years in education; former Bronx teacher and principal, ex-Brooklyn District 13 Superintendent
- Focus Areas: School integration, phasing out test-based gifted programs, managing school mergers, expanding IB programs
- Why It Matters: The schools chancellor is a key mayoral appointment shaping NYC public education
New York City students and parents will have a new Schools Chancellor to ring in the New Year. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Kamar Samuels as New York City Schools Chancellor.
Besides picking a police commissioner, appointing a school’s chancellor is perhaps one of the most consequential appointments a mayor can make, and Samuels’ track record may be a sign of changes to come. While the current Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos expressed interest in staying, Mamdani chose to go another way.
At the press conference announcing his new position, Samuels shared his plans for leading, “As someone who has spent nearly two decades in our classrooms, schools, and districts, I know that our students thrive when schools are fully funded, educators are supported, and systems are designed around equity and opportunity,” he said. “We will confront segregation, invest in our teachers, strengthen literacy and learning, and ensure that every child has the education and support they need to succeed.”
Mamdani also shared that he will maintain control of the NYC school system. “So though I have held concerns about mayoral control, I also acknowledge that New Yorkers need to know where the buck stops, with me, they need to know with whom they should address their concerns and fears, they need to have a firm voice in City Hall that they can count on to not only listen, but act accordingly.”
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Samuels’ Career
Samuels’ career started in the classroom nearly 20 years ago as a Bronx teacher, and later as a principal at Bronx Writing Academy. As a principal, he experimented with flexible schedules, adjusted class lengths, and blended online learning into the school day, early examples of thinking creatively about how schools operate.
As the current Manhattan superintendent, Samuels oversees District 3 in Manhattan, which includes schools across the Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, and parts of Harlem. It’s a varied district with discrepancies in income, race, and school enrollment, and Samuels has spent years addressing those challenges.
School Integration and Mergers
One thing Samuels is known for is his focus on school integration. He has worked to create more diverse classrooms, while also moving away from traditional gifted programs. This is actually a direction Mamdani has repeatedly said he wants to push citywide. This may result in fewer test-based or screened programs and more enrichment happening within neighborhood schools instead.
Another area that Samuels has hands-on experience with school mergers, which usually happen when enrollment drops and buildings are underused. Any merger is stressful and chaotic, so Samuels having experience in it may also be a sign, especially with the NYC public school system population dwindling in recent years.
Before being a Manhattan superintendent, Samuels was a superintendent in Brooklyn’s District 13. That area includes Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and parts of Bed-Stuy. While he was there, he oversaw the relocation of a well-loved pre-K–8 school, Arts & Letters, from Clinton Hill to a less crowded building in Bed-Stuy. This decision naturally caused strong reactions from families, especially because it highlighted the ongoing city school challenges involving space, enrollment, and equity in the district.
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In addition, District 13 also phased out gifted and talented programs under Samuels’ leadership after parents raised concerns about racial inequities. The district began working toward International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, which are known for strong academics but are meant to serve entire school communities, not just a small group of students. The idea was to offer rigorous learning opportunities without dividing kids into gifted and non-gifted tracks.
