- 2 days ago
On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference about his new "After-School For All" program.
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00:00In New York, country comes with dreams made of
00:08There's nothing you can't do
00:11Now you're in New York
00:15These streets will make you feel brand new
00:19These lights will inspire you
00:22Let's hear it
00:23How are you, brother?
00:24No, you good, good, good, good
00:26How are you?
00:27Good day
00:28I work at the tennis organization
00:31Okay, okay
00:33You open it or I'm open?
00:34Or Amadou is open?
00:35Good, Amadou is open
00:40Hi, my name is Amadou and I'm a rising sixth grade student
00:44Here at PS 152
00:46I would like to welcome Mayor Adams and all of you here today to our school
00:50In my after school debate club, I learned how to listen to others' opinions
00:55And respond respectfully
00:58Even when I disagree, it helped me become a better writer and speaker
01:02Because I had to organize my thoughts and explain my ideas clearly
01:06In the chess after school club, I learned how to plan my moves and think ahead
01:11Just like solving a tricky puzzle
01:14It also taught me patience because sometimes I had to wait and focus to find the best move
01:23Participating in chess and debate helped me become more confident
01:28Not just in after school, but in the classroom
01:31I always looked forward to the after school club days because I get to challenge myself
01:36Learn something new and have fun with my friends
01:39I'm really happy that all the kids over the city will have chances like this
01:44Do the new after school programs
01:48I hope the free programs continue all year round
01:51So more children can learn new things
01:54Thank you
01:55Thank you
01:56Thank you
01:57Thank you
02:04Joining the after school step team has been one of the best parts of my school experience
02:09Step has taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to express myself through rhythm and movement
02:15We work hard, we support each other, and we've become like a family
02:19Performing gives me confidence and makes me feel powerful and proud of who I am
02:23Being part of this after school program has helped me grow
02:27Not just as a dancer, but as a student and a leader
02:29I thank Mayor Adams for investing in children like me
02:32So we can have more opportunities
02:34Next, I would like to welcome our mayor
02:37Mayor Adams
02:38Thank you
02:40Thank you
02:42Wow, aren't they talking about promising, you know
02:46Give them another hand, you know
02:48Really, really amazing when you think about after school program and the role that after school program actually plays
02:59I say it over and over again, I'm going to be consistent in my message that, you know
03:04We tend to want our children to be academically smart and not emotionally intelligent at the same time
03:12When you do after school, particularly in communities that traditionally did not have after schools
03:20In many parts of the city, our young people have excellent after school opportunities and programs
03:29Even if they don't come through the Department of Education
03:32The dollars are there in private funding to allow them to explore their full personhood
03:39When you allow a child, as Amadou stated, to play chess or allow a child to be able to involve in dance and movement
03:50That's part of the socialization
03:52And it is also a way to relieve some of the daily stress that our young people are going through
03:59Their life cannot be merely what's being played out on social media
04:04It must also consist of what's being played out in the collaboration with other young people, as you indicated
04:13And I think it's a message for all of us as they're leading the way
04:18And we're going to continue to invest in our after school program
04:23So Amadou and Raiko, Raiko, we want to thank you for coming
04:29For coming and being a representative of an ambassador, I like to say
04:34For what young people are asking for throughout this entire city
04:38And every parent knows that learning just doesn't take place in a classroom
04:44It's beyond the classroom
04:46But too long, these families have not have access to affordable childcare
04:52And after school programming
04:54Forcing many of them to leave the city they love
04:58So we listened, and more importantly, we took actions
05:01Real actions that DOE and the department, DYCD, collaborated together
05:08To make sure that we could have these great after school programs
05:12And universal after school programs
05:15In April of this year we announced the goal of achieving universal after school
05:20By creating 20,000 additional K-5 after school seats for New York City public school students
05:27By the year 2027 school year
05:32And today, less than three months later, we're delivering on that
05:355,000 new after school seats for this upcoming school year
05:40That begins in just a matter of weeks
05:43It's hard to believe summer school is going to be here in a few weeks
05:47And so when you focus on it, we are investing an additional $21 million this school year
05:54To bring 5,000 new K-5 after school seats to a total of 40 schools
06:00That have never before had after school programs
06:06Never before have they had after school programs
06:10So these two scholars to my right
06:12They were in an environment where those after school programs did not exist
06:17And we're changing that
06:19This fall, those 5,000 children in neighborhoods in most need
06:24Will have a safe place and nurturing place to go when the school day ends
06:30And what does that mean?
06:31Is critical not only for the children, but also parents
06:36Parents who want to use those extra hours to go back to school themselves
06:41To just have some personal time of their personal development
06:45Or do some form of employment
06:47Many of our parents, particularly women
06:50Must leave their employment because of child care issue
06:54And we know that, we understand that, and we responded to that
06:57Now, children from working class families will have a spot in after school programs
07:02Where they can learn, and most importantly, where they can thrive
07:06These 5,000 new after school seats mark the first phase in our promise
07:11To commit $331 million for 20,000 new after school seats over the next three school years
07:21And it brings the annual budget for universal after school to $755 million annually
07:30Baseline by fiscal year 2028
07:34This will increase the total number of public school students
07:38Served by universal after school to 184,000
07:43That's 184,000 who would be able to participate in sports, robotics, the arts, tennis lessons
07:52All of those things that children should enjoy after the classroom experience
07:57Working class in New Yorkers deserve nothing less than their hardworking administration
08:01And we're going to continue to provide for them
08:04And this after school expansion also includes the first request for proposal in over a decade
08:11What does that mean? It means we will raise the provider rates for the nonprofit workforce
08:16And take care of our, that take care of our children every day
08:22And they have gone 10 years without an increase in pay and that changes now
08:29Additionally, we will form a commission
08:32Consistent of providers and community stakeholders to develop a sustainable quality after school system
08:40And when you do a full analysis of what we have done around children
08:45This is one of many
08:47We have also looked at historic funding for summer youth employment
08:51And summer rising both over 100,000 in each one of those initiatives
08:56Increased in baseline funding for 3K and special education pre-K
09:01Reducing the cost of subsidized child care to less than $5 a week
09:06When you think about less than one-tenth what it was compared to when we came into office
09:13And historic child care pilot for children 2 years old and younger
09:18That puts New York City on the path to universal child care for low-income families if we are successful
09:25So New York City can no longer afford to lose working class families to leave the city because of the issue of child care
09:32Two things we hear all the time when new employees come here
09:36How good are the schools and how safe is the community?
09:40We're targeting both of those issues with record number of decreasing crimes
09:44A record amount of initiatives in our public school system that we're going to continue to invest in
09:50And so I want to turn it over to a real partner here
09:53Who understands what it is to focus on children and families
09:58Our Commissioner of DYCD, Commissioner Howard
10:02Commissioner?
10:03Thank you, Mr. Mayor
10:09I don't know if we fully understand the word baseline
10:13Baseline
10:14Baseline means that the money can't go nowhere
10:18The money is staying with young people, with programming, with parents
10:24But this is just one of the mayor's visions on which he's landed
10:29He mentioned, yes, summer youth employment program
10:32When he first came into office going from 75,000 to 100,000 young people with summer jobs
10:39He also mentioned summer rising, 110,000
10:45How about Saturday Night Lights?
10:48Keeping young people safe in programs on the weekends
10:53And his summer safety plan
10:55Which we have extended summer hours to 11 p.m.
11:00For community programs, community centers
11:04In some of the neighborhoods with the highest level of shooting incidents
11:09This is the mayor's youth agenda
11:11And he has been consistent throughout
11:14And let me also add with the crisis management system
11:18You have those who are saying, oh, we need more investment
11:21But yeah, let's start off with 131 million that the mayor put in
11:25To make sure that the kids are safe
11:27Everything this mayor has done in his youth agenda has been checked off
11:33And I thank him
11:35I know Chancellor thanks him
11:38And not only do we thank him, but the parents, the kids
11:42And those providers and our partners
11:45Who are on the ground helping us keep these kids safe
11:50In safe environments, they thank him as well
11:54This administration and this youth agenda has been phenomenal
11:59And I can say that because I go and visit these programs
12:04I just want to thank the mayor again for his investment
12:08As a father, understanding the importance of after-school programming
12:12Taking my kids to the YMCA, running from work, picking them up
12:18As a working parent, I understand the value
12:22$331 million
12:25What an investment
12:27Thank you, Mr. Mayor
12:28Thank you
12:29As always
12:30I want to bring up my partner, Uday
12:32And the New York Junior Tennis
12:35Thank you
12:36So, thank you, Mayor Adams
12:39Thank you, Commissioner Howard
12:40Thank you, Commissioner Howard
12:41And thank you, Principal Baez
12:42My name's Uday Tambor
12:44I'm the President and CEO of New York Junior Tennis and Learning
12:47We're thrilled to be amongst the first providers selected as a part of this expansion
12:53NYJTL has a long history of serving young New Yorkers
12:57We were founded over 50 years ago by Arthur Ashe
13:00We serve young people in about 100 sites throughout the city
13:0490,000 young people in a year
13:06The new programs that are announced today will provide after-school services
13:10And communities that really need them
13:12Like here in the Bronx
13:14And at NYJTL, we strongly believe that talent is universal but opportunity is not
13:20And after-school programs like this create the opportunity for young people to reach their full potential
13:27So the young people that NYJTL will be serving this fall at PS 152
13:32Will enjoy a range of free and engaging activities
13:35Obviously tennis, free homework, free supper, STEM, art programs, interactive field trips
13:42And in partnership with Principal Baez and her team
13:46NYJTL will play a critical role
13:48In supporting young people's academic, social, and emotional development
13:52To help them succeed on and off the court
13:55I used to work in government many years ago
13:58So I can appreciate the challenges of what this administration is trying to do
14:01Of maintaining and expanding new programs
14:04And Mayor Adams, thank you
14:06You're really invested in the safety and development of our young people
14:10You know, as one of the city's many CBOs serving vulnerable communities
14:14We appreciate your support of the work that we're doing
14:17And entrusting us to empower and educate young New Yorkers
14:21Thank you for inviting me to speak here for this exciting announcement
14:24And we can't wait till the new school year begins in September
14:27Thank you
14:28Thank you
14:29Thank you, thank you so much
14:30Appreciate you
14:31I want to thank our superintendent and principals that are here with us as well
14:36It really takes a teaching is a calling
14:42And they answer the call to develop the minds of these young people
14:47Let me do a couple of on topics on this
14:50Hi, Mr. Mayor, how are you?
14:55How are you?
14:56I'm good
14:58I wanted to know, you know, how were the schools chosen
15:00And then how will parents know that their school, you know, was chosen
15:03And they have this opportunity
15:05Because that is a big deal when it comes to accessing a lot of the programs
15:09I think parents are aware
15:11And then how could potential budget cuts from the Trump administration
15:15To the Department of Education affect this programming
15:19And all this new funding that you have for programs
15:22You know, just as we saw when we came into office
15:25And you can go into the parents, how they decide to school
15:28When we came into the office, we were dealing with a real sunsetting of stimulus dollars
15:37A substantial amount of pre-K dollars, the summer rising dollars
15:43All of these dollars were sunsetting, many people didn't know that
15:46And we saw a seamless transition
15:48We found the money where we needed to go after these important services
15:53And we didn't see these services cut
15:56And we're going to do the same here
15:57Whatever plays out on the landscape of the federal government
16:01We're going to be fiscally smart and look at these important programs
16:06They will move forward
16:07We will have universal after school in the city
16:10And we're moving forward on having universal pre-K and 3K as well
16:16And so we know there's always challenges on the city
16:20On the state and federal level of cutting our budgets
16:24But we have to be smart how we manage it
16:27And that's why bond rate has increased our bonds
16:29On how well we handle these fiscal challenges
16:32Want to talk about picking the schools?
16:34So we selected the schools in collaboration with New York City Public Schools
16:40With the highest need in the city
16:45Those 40 schools
16:47We also looked at what schools do not have an after school program
16:53We also looked at young people with disabilities
16:57Young people with English learning issues
17:02And also young people who are on the area in terms of crime
17:10And shooting incidents as well
17:12So disabilities, income level, and also young people with English learning issues
17:20Again, in collaboration with New York City Public Schools
17:23So the schools
17:30Okay, thank you. Thank you. I'm going to be a few off topics. Thank you.
17:35You know, alright. Well, now what grade are you in?
17:38Let's do a few off-topics.
17:50Hey, Jay.
17:51Sir, good morning.
17:53As you know, over the weekend, two men were arrested for the shooting of the customs officer.
18:00Yes.
18:01And it turns out that they both had standing deportation orders.
18:07One case for a few years, the other guy for a few months, several months.
18:12Yet they came in and out of the criminal justice system, in and out of the city's custody, long after the deportation orders were in place.
18:23Why were they not turned over to ICE?
18:25I agree, and I said this over and over again.
18:28We need to reexamine this.
18:31I've been almost a lone voice in this city talking about this, that we need to examine parts of our laws that allow extremely dangerous people to go in and out of our criminal justice system.
18:47As it currently states, we are not allowed to coordinate with federal authorities unless the person is convicted of a crime and after he served his time.
18:59I think we need to examine that.
19:02There's a real pattern here that these were dangerous people.
19:06And thank God, because of the response of the Custom Border Patrol officer who responded appropriately, but also the New York City police officers who were able to get him to the hospital and carry out the immediate first aid.
19:21And so, you know, I've raised this over and over again.
19:24The city council has been clear that they have no intention to look at this, and I think it's unfortunate.
19:30I think it plays every day, documented and undocumented, New York is in jeopardy.
19:38When they approached that Custom Border Patrol officer, they didn't ask him was he documented or undocumented.
19:43They didn't ask him what he did for a living.
19:46They came to harm him as they harmed other people.
19:49So I think we need to reexamine this.
19:54I'm right here, Zachary.
19:56You said yesterday you aren't responsible for state-wide city laws, but as the mayor, how have you pushed to make any changes?
20:06I don't think, if it's one thing that's not a secret to all of you who covered me, pre-election, post-election,
20:18I've talked about this over and over again.
20:21We have communicated with the city council.
20:25They made it clear they're not willing to change the law.
20:29They made it clear.
20:30So my job is to give proposals to get the law changed.
20:35That's my job.
20:36It is the job of the city council and state lawmakers to do an analysis of how well laws are impacting us and then to make those changes.
20:47We take bad people off the street.
20:50Lawmakers must ensure they don't return back on our streets.
20:54We're doing our job.
20:56And now we need the other parts of the criminal justice system to do their job at the same time.
21:02Good.
21:03All right.