The New York City Department of Education is the largest school system in the nation, with nearly 1.1 million students, 135,000 employees (including 80,000 teachers), and an annual budget of $14+ Billion. The Department of Education is committed to creating a system of 1,300+ great schools. From its inception in 2003, the Children First Agenda for New York’s schools has driven the Department of Education’s work in adopting uniform, rigorous curricula for all schools; starting new, small schools to increase educational options for students; and transforming the structure and culture of the Department of Education to encourage educational excellence and the work necessary to support that goal.