The abrupt dismissal of a Brooklyn superintendent has upset many community members in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where dozens of residents showed up to a town hall meeting Monday night to express their outrage, according to Chalkbeat.
Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos removed District 16 Superintendent Brendan Mims on Monday, according to state Assembly member Stefani Zinerman, who spoke with Aviles-Ramos and organized Monday’s town hall.
The exact reasons for the removal are unclear, but in a Monday letter to Aviles-Ramos recapping their recent discussions about Mims, Zinerman attributed the problems to a “breakdown in the relationship” between Mims and the local Community Education Council, an elected parent advisory board, according to Chalkbeat.
Mims’ interim replacement, former Deputy Superintendent Fabayo McIntosh, took over Tuesday, the news agency reported.
The removal of Mims is one of the first major personnel moves for Aviles-Ramos, who assumed her role in October and has largely emphasized her desire to maintain the policies of her predecessor, David Banks.
The move could now embroil Aviles-Ramos in a public battle at a delicate moment in her tenure, as she rolls out her own first policy efforts and as her future remains uncertain with Mayor Eric Adams facing a steep climb to win reelection in this year’s mayoral race, Chalkbeat said.
“That is an absolute disgrace, and it’s disrespectful,” said Zinerman, whose assembly district largely overlaps with District 16. “I’ve been elected since 2010, and I have not had the opportunity to chain myself to a door yet. This is the door that I’m going to chain myself to.”
Zinerman added that making the decision toward the end of the school year as students prepare to take state exams and at a moment of profound uncertainty for city schools because of federal threats to education could destabilize the district, according to Chalkbeat.
Many speakers at the town hall praised Mims, a 22-year veteran of the city Education Department, for his community engagement and strong academic track record, the news agency said.
A Change.org petition started circulating the day after Mims was removed.
"Understanding the deep-seated concerns of parents and community members about the recent removal of Superintendent Brendan Mims, this petition emphasizes our thirst for consistent and compassionate leadership that he provided," the petition reads. "We believe in the difference Mr. Mims made in our educational system and to the lives of our children. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in developing a vibrant learning environment."
The petition asks for the Mayor's Office to reconsider the decision by Aviles-Ramos.
