Nearly 1 in 4 NYC Principals Are CITE Alumni. Here's Why That Matters.

• By Brett Roer, Senior Director of AI Innovation and Professional Development at CITE Former New York City Bronx Public High School Principal

Numbers in education rarely tell the full story.

But this one does: nearly 1 in 4 current New York City public school principals are CITE alumni.

That is not a marketing claim. It is a reflection of decades of investment in developing the kind of leaders this city actually needs — leaders who understand the system because they grew up inside of it.

Consider what that means in practice.

Across the five boroughs, in elementary schools and high schools, in District 75 programs and career and technical education buildings, CITE graduates are leading. They are running PPOs, navigating APPR expectations, managing budgets, building culture, supporting teachers, counseling students, and partnering with families in some of the most complex school communities in the country.

And they are not doing it in isolation. They are connected to a network of over 10,000 CITE alumni — a community that includes the two most recent previous Chancellors of New York City public schools.

When I talk to principals and APs across New York City in my role as Senior Director of AI Innovation and Professional Development at CITE, the same themes emerge over and over again.

They feel the weight of the work. They want to grow, but they need support that is grounded in the realities of their context, not generic frameworks delivered by people who have never sat in a principal’s chair.

That is what CITE provides. And the 21 honorees being recognized at the CITE Spring Gala — Night of Impact on March 26th are living proof of that impact.

Amanda Mercado did not become a Community Superintendent by accident. She was developed through CITE’s School Building and School District Leadership program and now leads NYCDOE District 21.

Shawn Rux did not arrive at the role of Senior Executive Director for the Office of New School Development and Design by following a generic career playbook. He earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership through CITE and now shapes how new schools are created across NYCPS.

Rachel McCaulsky is leading arts education at the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. Crystal Joye is running New Heights Academy Charter School. Shirley Wheeler is serving as Executive Director of District 18.

These leaders span sectors, geographies, and program areas. But they share something in common: they were developed by CITE, and they are leading with the kind of clarity and commitment that only comes from a preparation program that understands the work.

Nearly 1 in 4 NYC principals.

That number is not just a reflection of scale. It is a reflection of trust. Districts trust CITE to prepare their leaders. Schools trust CITE to develop their staff. And educators trust CITE because the people facilitating their growth have been in the same rooms, made the same decisions, and carried the same weight.