NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks to step down in latest Adams admin turmoil

The embattled head of New York City schools is expected to step down as Mayor Eric Adams’ administration contends with a leadership shakeup in the face of swirling federal investigations.

David Banks will retire from his post as the schools chancellor by the end of this year, sources said.

The chancellor had met with Adams in Gracie Mansion and informed the mayor of his plans to retire, sources said and according to his retirement letter obtained by The Post.

“During our meeting earlier this year, I advised you that I intend to retire at the end of this calendar year after ensuring the school year got off to a good start,” Banks wrote.

“I have decided to retire effective December 31, 2024, after dedicating nearly 40 years of service to New York City’s public schools.”

One of Banks’ deputies, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, is expected to be appointed as the next schools chancellor, two sources told The Post. An announcement is expected Wednesday, the sources added.

Banks’ resignation is the latest departure in the upper ranks of the Adams administration amid the federal corruption probes – and the second to be announced in as many days.

City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said Monday he was leaving at the end of the year.

Before that, City Hall saw the high-profile resignations iof Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg and former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban.

Banks, the mayor and City Hall officials carefully avoided the word “resignation” when announcing his upcoming departure, but many pols and insiders clearly saw it as fitting into a wider pattern.

”Another day, another resignation, welcome to NYC City Hall 2024,” one source told The Post. “Rats, jumping off a sinking ship. By the end of the year, Eric Adams will be sitting at the table by himself.”

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn), a mayoral candidate looking to oust Adams, noted the departure will leave another prominent part of city government rudderless.

“It’s beginning to feel like Groundhog Day,” he said.

“The NYPD, Department of Health, and NYC Public Schools are three of the city’s most critical agencies, responsible for ensuring the safety, health, and future of our children — and in less than a month, our city is facing openings for all three commissioners.”

Councilman Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx), who sits on the council’s education committee, was blunt: “Every day there is a new resignation from the administration so I wouldn’t say I’m surprised.”

Only a few hours before Banks’ announcement, Adams faced a question about the apparent high level of departures of senior officials in his administration. 

The mayor argued it was the “normal turnaround” after three years.

“This is wear and tear,” he said.

Banks was ensnared by the stunning round of Sept. 4 federal raids earlier this month that saw agents seize the devices of several top city officials, including Caban.

The FBI raided the Harlem home that Banks shares with his longtime partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and confiscated both their cellphones.

They also seized the phones of Banks’ brother Terence Banks, a former MTA official-turned-consultant, and another brother, Philip Banks, who is Adams’ deputy mayor for public safety.

The Banks brothers are longtime family friends of Adams, who served in the NYPD with their father.

After the raids, David Banks claimed the feds had told him he wasn’t a target. He laughed off The Post’s questions roughly a week after the raids about whether he’d resign and otherwise stonewalled related queries.

A few days later, Banks used his second State of the School address to oddly allude to his troubles by reading the poem “Invictus” – a writing that Nelson Mandela recited while behind bars.

“It’s the greatest poem that I know of because everybody can relate to it, because everybody goes through something,” Banks said.

Banks has not been accused of wrongdoing, nor have the others raided by the feds. 

The whiff of potential corruption, however, has led many – including The Post’s editorial board – to call for Adams to push out officials at the center of the federal probes.

Adams, in a statement, praised Banks’ work re-emphasizing phonics in reading education, among other initiatives over his tenure.

“In less than three years, our city’s public schools have transformed — from ensuring schools were safe and open coming out of the pandemic to a space that has increased our students’ reading scores, math scores, and graduation rates.

Banks also received praise for his “exemplary” work from Councilwoman Rita Joseph, who chairs the education committee.

“He has consistently put our children at the forefront of every decision, and the real improvements we’ve seen in our schools are a testament to his vision and heart,” she said.

But others said Banks’ legacy could end up being tainted by the scandals circling Adams.

Naveed Hasan, a parent member on the Panel for Educational Policy, said Banks did his best under “mismanagement” from City Hall and Adams. 

“Corruption started from the top and has permeated the system,” Hasan said. “Let’s hope this is a clear sign for civil servants and those that work for the public that shenanigans will come to bite you in the rear, sooner rather than later.”

Additional reporting by Larry Celona