As the search for a new superintendent in Brooklyn's District 16 continues, some Bedford-Stuyvesant residents say they are frustrated with how the Department of Education handled the dismissal of a former education leader and the lack of opportunity to get answers.
During a town hall meeting at M.S. 267 on June 10, residents said they were looking for the chance to ask DOE Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos about the removal of former Superintendent Brendan Mims, which upset many parents.
However, an email sent out by Community Education Council 16 (CEC16) before the meeting explained that the event was "not a personnel hearing." This came a week after CEC16 requested questions for the Chancellor.
"We understand that some of you may be attending due to messages or campaigns circulating within the community," the email read. "We want to acknowledge that there has been a great deal of misinformation shared recently. [The Town Hall] is a public opportunity to hear directly from the Chancellor and to focus on how we move District 16 forward."
Several parents attending the town hall were dismayed that they could not ask about Mims.
"He was beloved by the community," said Evan Moody, a D16 parent. "There was no rationale or reason. It's about transparency."
Some wore t-shirts protesting Mims' removal, though they had to cover them during the town hall.
"I'm unhappy that they received our questions but were not going to answer them," said a D16 parent named Kate, who declined to disclose her last name. "If they want to establish trust, be transparent and stop pretending everything is normal. A lot of people can't speak out."
During the town hall, educators and residents talked about chronic absenteeism, the upcoming ban on cell phones in K-12 schools and the district's reading levels. Joining Chancellor Aviles-Ramos were Superintendent Fabayo McIntosh and CEC16 President Nequan McLean.
When asked about D16 parents protesting Mims' removal after the town hall, McLean declined to comment except to say, "That's their right."
Meanwhile, four candidates, including Interim Superintendent Fabayo McIntosh, Dr. Linda Iverson, Jazmine Pagan and Lenika Vane, introduced themselves and their platforms to be the next D16 Superintendent at a virtual "Meet the candidates" forum on Thursday.
Forums like this are normally not part of the Superintendent C-37 process, which governs the selection of a new superintendent. However, in an email sent out by CEC16, the council said it wanted D16 residents to hear from the candidates directly.
"This engagement gives our community a valuable chance to listen, learn, and stay informed," the email read.
In an interview following the forum, Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman wondered why she still hasn't gotten an explanation as to why Mims was fired.
"I think we all want some level of transparency and justice," she said. "We lost what we thought was an educator who had a 27-year career and is now on the unemployment line."
