Mayor Adams to announce replacement for NYC schools chancellor: sources

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Mayor Eric Adams is expected to announce the replacement for New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks on Wednesday, sources told PIX11 News.

Sources said that the mayor has chosen Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the deputy chancellor of family and community engagement, to replace Banks. Banks informed Adams of his resignation on Tuesday.

The chancellor’s resignation not only follows a number of people stepping down from the mayor’s inner circle but three weeks after the FBI raided the home he shares with his partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

The FBI took both their cellphones and electronic devices during the search. Banks and his two brothers, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks and Terence Banks, an advisor and former supervisor to the city’s subway system, were all included in the federal investigation.

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban , Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix, Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg and Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan have all resigned from the Adams administration in recent weeks.

Adams is under federal investigation for allegedly taking illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government.

David Banks, a former teacher, principal and the founder of an all-boys network of schools has led the nation’s largest school system since 2022.

The head of the United Federation of Teachers released a statement saying, “Now more than ever, we need to focus on doing the work that our students, educators, and public schools need.”

State Sen. John Liu, who oversees the Senate committee on New York City education, said Banks stepping is terrible timing and raises renewed questions about whether mayoral control is the best form of school governance.

The announcement is expected at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018 . She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here .

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