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David C. Banks
David C. Banks
00:54

David C. Banks

New York City Public Schools

San Diego, CA USA

"You have something very special that only you can do and your purpose in life is to figure out what that is and go and do it. Because if you don’t do it, it will not be done—not in the way that you would do it."

Career Roadmap

David C.'s work combines: Education, Government, and Teaching / Mentoring

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Day In The Life

Chancellor

I oversee all public schools in New York City.

02:14

Day In The Life Of A Chancellor Of A Public School System

My Day to Day

I spend my days connecting with schools, organizations, and stakeholders. I'll do a school visit, followed by a call with the mayor and my team while en route. Overseeing the largest school system in the country, I manage a vast team of 145,000 employees, including 77,000 teachers. My afternoons and evenings are filled with meetings and events, often with parent groups and community education councils, addressing their concerns and ensuring our schools receive the necessary support.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I'll hear a lot of Noise at community meetings from people thinking I'm not doing enough of something they're passionate about. People don't always have all of the information, so they don't know why I make the decisions I do. The criticism can get frustrating but as intense as it is, I still absolutely love this job. When you have a job that you love to do, it makes all the difference in the world.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Political Science

    Rutgers University

  • Doctorate

    Law

    St. John's University School of Law

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, where my journey in education began.

  • 2.

    I started my career as a school safety officer, breaking up fights and keeping kids safe in a high school in Brooklyn.

  • 3.

    I transitioned into teaching, where I spent six years teaching fourth and fifth grade in elementary school.

  • 4.

    While teaching during the day, I pursued my dream of becoming a lawyer by attending law school at night.

  • 5.

    After law school, I worked for the New York City Law Department and the State Attorney General's office before returning to education.

  • 6.

    I became the founding principal of two schools in the Bronx—the first focused on law, government, and justice, and the second was an all-boys school model replicated across New York City and Newark.

  • 7.

    My work with the Eagle Academy for Young Men caught the attention of Mayor Eric Adams, who appointed me as the Chancellor of the New York City Public School system.

  • 8.

    Today, I oversee the largest public school system in the country, dedicated to improving education and supporting nearly a million students.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Peers:

    You're not doing enough of this. You should be doing more of that.

  • How I responded:

    I'll hear a lot of Noise at community meetings from people thinking I'm not doing enough of something they're passionate about. People don't always have all of the information, so they don't know why I make the decisions I do. The criticism can get frustrating but as intense as it is, I still absolutely love this job. When you have a job that you love to do, it makes all the difference in the world.

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