New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks expressed that he has “no interest” in leading the nation’s largest school district if Albany lawmakers allow Mayor Eric Adams’ mayoral control of the school system to expire this summer.
“I have no interest in serving as a chancellor in a system where you don’t really have the authority to make real decisions,” Banks said Thursday, March 14th, at Department of Education headquarters in lower Manhattan.
He added, “I have no interest in that whatsoever. I want to be very, very clear about that.”
Having served as chancellor for two years, Banks informed reporters that he took on the role due to his alignment with Adams.
He expressed concerns that proposals to enhance the power and independence of a citywide education policy panel, separate from Adams and his City Hall staff, would not benefit the school system.
The debate over mayoral control has sparked discussions among educators, union representatives, and advocates who call for a more balanced approach to decision-making in the school system.
Critics argue that the current structure, which allows the mayor to appoint the majority of the Panel for Educational Policy, limits checks and balances, pushing through directives without sufficient opposition.
Banks lauded the Adams administration’s efforts to reform education, pointing to important strides in curriculum development and introducing new career-focused programs.
The potential loss of mayoral control threatens to revert the school system to a decentralized model, which Banks suggests could invite corruption and inefficiency.
Reflecting on past experiences, he recounted, “I grew up in a system where it was spread out across the city and I knew personally people who had to pay for their positions to become a principal. You didn’t have a shot of being a principal in a particular district unless they had a community board you were close to or you were prepared to pay money for a four-year position.”
Such a scenario, Banks argues, would significantly undermine the integrity and effectiveness of the city’s educational governance.
The reluctance of the state Senate and Assembly to extend mayoral control reflects broader questions about its effectiveness and the best model for school governance.
A forthcoming study, commissioned as part of the last extension of mayoral control, aims to provide lawmakers with a comprehensive analysis of its impact and potential alternatives.
In the meantime, debates continue over the future of mayoral control, with Governor Kathy Hochul advocating for a four-year extension earlier this year.
State Senator John Liu, the Senate’s New York City Education Committee chairman, stated in a press release that his decision on the issue would draw from over 20 years of experience with mayoral control, spanning three mayors and several chancellors.
He clarified that it isn’t a judgment solely on the current administration.
Liu stated, “In any event, David Banks has been an extraordinary Schools Chancellor and though I hope he wouldn’t quit, I’ll remind him, as I have others, that the cemeteries are full of indispensable men.”
If not extended, mayoral control would lapse by the end of June.
