Community Education Council 16 (CEC16) held its monthly calendar and business meeting Tuesday night at the Whitelaw Reid Academy of Arts and Business, offering a space for healing and forward planning following the sudden removal of former Superintendent Brendan Mims.
The meeting marked the first official opportunity for parents and community leaders to address the district's leadership transition. Interim Superintendent Fabayo McIntosh, a lifelong Bed-Stuy resident, was introduced to a wave of cheers and applause from nearly 50 attendees gathered in the school auditorium.
“This is the rebound transition,” said New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos at the start of the meeting. “We are now making sure that there is continuity and stability in this district. Let's please move forward and figure out how we can maintain stability in the district and work on issues.”
Aviles-Ramos thanked Mims for his service but said leadership and performance issues contributed to his dismissal.
McIntosh, previously D16’s deputy superintendent, acknowledged the difficult transition and emphasized community unity and forward movement.
“Transitions are powerful opportunities for us to come together and collectively do things with purpose,” McIntosh said. “I'm happy to be here in District 16 at this time. I'm here to transform [and] show the possibilities, when we provide community support, when we fundraise, when we think about bigger pictures of what our students need — the things that we can do when we work together.”
McIntosh presented her vision under the banner “D16’s Legacy of Brilliance.” She outlined her engagement tour of each school in the district, asking leaders what the future of D16 should look like. Her plan includes strengthening relationships with school communities and releasing findings by late June on what D16 schools need to thrive.
“Now is the time for us to ride and rise together,” she said. “There’s so much going on in the world, so much happening right here. If we don’t support one another, lots of badness will happen to us. I want to be sure that it doesn’t just take educators to educate our ecosystem.”
When asked about her tenure given the city’s pending superintendent selection under Chancellor's Regulations C-37, McIntosh said she would abide by the law but remain committed during her time in office.
“There is a process I will abide by, and I have to abide by the law,” she said. “But while I’m here and I’m doing the work, my job is to lead District 16 in a better place than I received it.”
Many parents expressed optimism following McIntosh’s remarks, though some still voiced concerns about the abrupt leadership change. Several cited the high turnover of superintendents and a lingering lack of transparency about Mims’ removal.
Chelsea Kinchin-Smith, a parent, said the community deserved more clarity.
“The community has been asking questions,” she said. “There’s rallies, elected officials getting involved. Is there no PR way to speak about it? Just more transparency, more clarity. But it just was never addressed.”
An online petition calling for Mims’ reinstatement has gathered over 1,000 signatures, and a related social media campaign led by Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman has gained modest traction, particularly on Instagram.
Still, some community members urged a shift in focus. “The seat has to be filled,” said parent Attika J. Torrance. “Someone has to take up the seat.”
Earl Silas, whose children attended Brighter Choice — the school McIntosh once led — echoed that sentiment. “It would become a distraction,” he said. “People get hurt in the process. It doesn’t help the kids.”
CEC16 closed the meeting focused on stability and optimism for the district’s future under McIntosh’s leadership.
