New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks hastens his exit
David Banks, the New York City schools chancellor, who initially planned to leave the position at the end of 2024, will instead exit in mid-October, the embattled Adams administration announced late Wednesday. Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin
David Banks, the New York City schools chancellor, will quit even earlier than planned, the embattled Adams administration announced late Wednesday.
Banks — whose home he shares with his now-wife, Sheena Wright, first deputy for Mayor Eric Adams had been raided by the FBI in early September — is the latest senior staffer to abruptly leave. Banks and Wright were married in the past few days.
He was supposed to leave the chancellorship Dec. 31 and be replaced by Melissa Aviles-Ramos in the new year; instead, he’ll leave mid-October and she’ll take over then.
"In advancing this mission, it became clear that our students will be best served by having the same leadership through as much of the school year as possible, rather than changing chancellors halfway through," according to a statement from Adams spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield. "We have decided to accelerate the start date of Chancellor Aviles-Ramos to October 16th so that she can immediately begin executing on her vision for New York City Public Schools."
Banks, 62, is one of at least a half-dozen Adams staffers to have their homes raided and cellphones seized by federal investigators looking into potential corruption.
He is one of three brothers — Phil, the deputy mayor for public safety, and a political consultant, Terence, are the other two — under federal investigation. None of the Banks brothers has been charged.
David Banks' resignation came hours after Adams appeared in federal court on his corruption case; the mayor was charged last week with a campaign scheme in which he allegedly traded illicit donations from Turkish nationals and luxury travel for favorable treatment and other favors. He has pleaded not guilty.
The announcement of Banks’ sudden departure is just one of several abrupt exits in the past few weeks, including of NYPD Comissioner Edward Caban, Adams’ chief legal counsel, Lisa Zornberg, and a senior adviser to the mayor, Tim Pearson.
With nearly 1 million students, the city public school system is the nation’s largest.
Banks had announced last week he was quitting at the end of 2024.
"After 40 years," he said at the time," I'm tired. And that's the God's honest truth."
His spokesman, Nathaniel Styer, declined to comment late Wednesday on why Banks decided to leave sooner.
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
