Melissa Aviles-Ramos is Chancellor of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), the largest school district in the nation. She has dedicated nearly two decades to the children, staff, and families of NYCPS, serving in roles at every level of the system and driving dramatic growth in student outcomes. Under Chancellor Aviles-Ramos' leadership, proficiency in literacy and math rose to their highest levels since 2012, with 7.2 and 3.5 point gains in ELA and math, respectively, between 2024 and 2025.
Chancellor Aviles-Ramos has prioritized consistent and thorough implementation of key instructional initiatives, from NYC Reads and NYC Solves to reimagined Student Pathways, expanding these programs to serve tens of thousands more students. She believes deeply that our schools must provide every student with a solid foundation in reading and math, while preparing them for well-paying jobs.
Additionally, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos has made three commitments to the students, staff, and families of New York City, commitments that lay the foundation for meaningful learning and bold futures: 1) ensuring safety and promoting wellness, 2) strengthening comprehensive teacher supports, and 3) fostering family and community empowerment. In line with these commitments, she launched NYCPS Cares, an initiative to address systemic inequities in schools, in the spring of 2025.
Chancellor Aviles-Ramos began her career in 2007 as an English teacher and NYC Teaching Fellow at Harry S. Truman High School in the Bronx. She then became a principal in 2016 at Schuylerville Prep. When she took on that role, only about a quarter of the senior cohort was on track to graduate, but by June, 66.7 percent had earned their diplomas. The following year, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos and her team raised that graduation rate even further, to nearly 82 percent.
During the pandemic, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos stepped up to serve as the deputy superintendent for the Bronx high schools of District 8, 10 and 11. Soon after, she was promoted to acting superintendent; in that role she focused on literacy, instructional practices, and enrollment.
Most recently, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos was the Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement and External Affairs, as well as the Chief of Staff to her predecessor. In those roles, she oversaw innovative family engagement programs such as NYC Literacy Hubs and our Family Literacy Ambassadors; she also launched and led Project Open Arms, our unprecedented effort to welcome, enroll, and support over 50,000 of our newest New Yorkers.
Chancellor Aviles-Ramos earned her bachelor's degree from Fordham University, a Master of Arts in English Education from the City College of New York, and advanced certificates in school and district leadership from the College of Saint Rose. She is a native New Yorker, a Latina, and the proud parent of an NYCPS student.