Meisha Ross Porter facts for kids

Meisha Ross Porter (born November 18, 1973) is an American educator. She is known for serving as the 30th New York City Schools Chancellor in 2021. This important role means she was in charge of all public schools in New York City.

Early Life and Education

Meisha Ross Porter grew up in New York City. She was born in Far Rockaway and raised in Jamaica, Queens. She attended Queens Vocational and Technical High School. After high school, she went to Hunter College. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She focused on different cultures in literature and also studied Black and Puerto Rican history.

Career in Education

Meisha Ross Porter started her career helping young people in the Bronx. She helped create the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice (BLGJ). She worked at BLGJ for 18 years. During her time there, she held many roles. She was a community helper, a teacher, and an assistant principal. Eventually, she became the principal of the school.

Leading Schools in the Bronx

In 2015, Meisha Ross Porter became the Superintendent of District 11. This district covers many neighborhoods in the Northeast Bronx. She worked in this role for almost three years. In 2018, she took on an even bigger job. She was named the Bronx Executive Superintendent. In this position, she oversaw 361 schools. These schools had about 235,000 students in the Bronx borough.

Becoming Schools Chancellor

On February 26, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a big change. He chose Meisha Ross Porter to be the new Schools Chancellor. The previous chancellor, Richard Carranza, was stepping down. Meisha Ross Porter made history with this appointment. She became the first Black woman to serve as New York City's Schools Chancellor. She served in this role until the end of 2021.

Continuing Her Education

Meisha Ross Porter has always believed in learning more. She earned her master's degree from Mercy University. This degree was in Administration and Supervision. She also completed a special program to become a School District Leader. Currently, she is working on her doctorate degree in education at Fordham University.

Awards and Recognition

Meisha Ross Porter has received several honors for her work. She was given the Sojourner Truth Award by the National Association of Negro Women. She has also been a fellow at Columbia University and the Aspen Institute. She has taught as a professor at CUNY. She also took part in a program at Harvard University for urban school leaders. She is a member of a special team at Fordham University that focuses on leadership.