To protest the dismissal of District 16 (D16) Superintendent Brendan Mims, approximately thirty parents, elected officials, and community leaders from central Brooklyn gathered in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Thursday.
Rally participants outside P.S. 25 The Eubie Blake School yelled, “Bring back Mims!” in reference to Mims’ dismissal on April 14 by Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.
Mims, who had been employed by the Department of Education (DOE) for 22 years and had held the job since July 2022, was fired, which infuriated many members of the D16 community. Nobody knew for sure why Mims had been fired.
Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman stated, “There’s too much going on,” adding that numerous community members have been requesting an explanation from her on Mims’ removal. “There’s talk of dismantling the [U.S.] Department of Education, we have not passed the state budget. And now a superintendent has been removed during spring break. Why would they be doing that, removing under the cloak of darkness?”
City Council Member Chi Ossé informed the throng that they had just paid their taxes just to see this happen.
“This is disrespectful to all of you,” he stated. “It creates instability in our city. Try doing this in Park Slope!”
Since Mims was all about community, business owner Shalonda Vasquez, whose twins are enrolled in a D16 school, claimed she was unaware of any other superintendent until he joined the team.
In the middle of all the confusion, there was also worry about the instructors and students returning from spring break on Monday and having to study for state assessment tests. According to a mother who wished to remain anonymous, the unpredictability may lead parents to withdraw their children from the district’s schools.
“Mims’ removal means that even fewer Black men remain in positions of authority in public schools,” Dr. Shango Blake, CEO of Black Influencers United, a nonprofit organization that supports Black educators, said the audience.
“They’re cooks, custodians, security guards,” Blake stated. “All that is essential. But there are no educators in math, science. There’s a shortage of leadership. They’re ostracized out of education.”
According to Zinerman, the process of removing Mims most likely started in June 2024 when she started getting emails from Mims and the Community Education Council (CEC)16.
A meeting was planned in October 2024 to resolve what was perceived as tension between the two sides. The assembly member didn’t hear much until March, when Mims was fired, after that meeting was called off.
Zinerman told BK Reader that the reason he was fired was not disclosed, and she was eager to read the document that detailed his termination.
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To rebuild public confidence, openness regarding Mims’ dismissal is essential, according to David C. Bloomfield, professor of Education Leadership, Law & Policy at Brooklyn College and The CUNY Graduate Center.
“Transparency is all-important, including formal statements by the CEC and/or the Chancellor’s Office to clarify reasons for the decision,” Bloomfield stated. “Wording of such statements can be legally, politically and personally fraught but these are public leadership positions of great importance requiring reassurance that the decision is not arbitrary and consistent with procedural and substantive standards.”
Zinerman questions the recruiting procedure, which is typically carried out under a framework known as the C-37 Chancellor’s Regulation, because D16 has had three superintendents since 2016.
Parents and community people should take charge of their children’s educational journeys, according to Mims’s supporter Marlon Rice, who is vying for state senator in the 25th District.
“I worry about when a superintendent comes next and the same [expletive] will happen,” he stated.
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Zinerman advised worried parents to continue raising their voices and sign the more than 870-signatured online petition.
The dismissal of Mims was not explained by DOE Press Secretary Nicole Brownstein. She did, however, include a link outlining the evaluation process for superintendents and the fact that the role is “at-will hire,” meaning that workers may be let go at any moment for any reason.
“The NYCPS follows Chancellor’s Regulation C-37 which outlines the eligibility criteria and application process, including consultation with the district’s Community Education Council,” Brownstein stated. “NYCPS has selected an interim acting superintendent and will begin the selection process set forth in the Chancellor’s Regulation C-37.”
