Kamar Samuels Appointed NYC Schools Chancellor

Kamar Samuels, who has overseen schools on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights since 2022, has been appointed New York City Schools Chancellor by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The announcement, made this past month, places Samuels in charge of the largest public school system in the United States.

Samuels began as a classroom teacher in the Bronx, later becoming a principal and then a deputy superintendent in Brownsville. He most recently served as Community Superintendent of School District 3, which includes West End Secondary School and 28 other schools from 59th to 122nd Street, spanning the Hudson River to Fifth Avenue above Central Park North. Before District 3, Samuels was superintendent of District 13 in Brooklyn. 

According to The New York Times, Kamar Samuels is best known for his efforts to promote school desegregation, most notably the merger of schools in Manhattan and central Brooklyn. He has also supported expanding International Baccalaureate programs, which emphasize academic rigor and critical, philosophical thinking, as an alternative to traditional gifted-and-talented programs.

In a December 2023 interview with West Side Rag, Samuels discussed his priorities as District 3 superintendent. He emphasized improving literacy through the city’s “NYC Reads” initiative, supporting newly arrived immigrant and asylum-seeking students, and addressing enrollment declines in some schools. Samuels also stressed the importance of community engagement, saying that the role of a “Community Superintendent” requires a deep understanding of the neighborhoods and families schools serve.

Samuels’ appointment marks a major transition for New York City schools and for District 3 students, including those at WESS, who now see a former local superintendent step into a citywide leadership role.