Cordelia Veve introduces DOE team and context

Good afternoon.

All right.

I'm going to take your lead and not lean over.

Good afternoon, Chair Denowitz, Chair Joseph, members of the Committees of Education and Higher Education, and distinguished members of the City Council.

My name is Cordelia Vevey, and I am the Chief of Curriculum and Instruction for New York City Public Schools.

I'm joined by my colleagues, Jenna Ryle, Director of Civics, and Chris Kermie-Hall, Senior Curriculum Specialist, as well as Superintendents Hua Tu, Marcel Deans, and Anthony Anzarello.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the New York State Education Department Seal of Civic Readiness, which is part of the NYSID Civic Readiness Initiatives and the proposed legislation.

In New York City public schools, we believe that teaching the foundations of American government and the democratic process is vital to nurturing more engaged, active community members and informed potential voters.

Civics education should be an essential part of every student's core academic program.

We are on our way to ensuring that every student in our schools has access to high-quality civics education, and the seal of civic readiness has been an important component of that growth.