Parents, lawmakers 'livid' after surprise firing of beloved Queens superintendent

Senator Michael Gianaris was joined by Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán and Julie Won, other elected and parents from Northwest Queens to condemn the mayor and the schools chancellor for the surprise firing of District 30 Superintendent Dr. Philip Composto. Eagle photo by Jacob Kaye

By Jacob Kaye and Rachel Vick

Mayor Eric Adams stands to lose mayoral control of the city’s school system after a well-liked superintendent from Queens was fired without notice and without consultation of the local school community, elected officials say.

Northwest Queens families and elected officials were furious Friday as they rallied in support of District 30 Superintendent Dr. Philip Composto, who was told this week by top education officials that he’d soon be losing his job.

The news, which was first circulated on social media by parents in the district, that the well-loved Composto was not selected to return for the second round in the process of selecting a superintendent came as a shock to the school community, rally-goers said. The Department of Education, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment, has yet to give a reason as to why Composto would not be allowed to return to his post.

The St. John’s University and Queens College alum had been with the Department of Education for more than four decades and spearheaded a scholarship program for low-income students that recently expanded throughout the city and which Mayor Eric Adams touted in the Bronx on Friday.

Parents and elected officials described Composto as a compassionate leader who made himself available to parents and educators in the community every day of the week and at all times.

Whitney Toussaint, a member of the local Community Education Council and parent in the district, described Composto as the definition of “servant leader.”

“He started his career in special education, so to say he didn't meet the qualifications for a final interview without any support is ridiculous, and we’re upset,” Toussaint told the Eagle. “If this is what mayoral control is about, we’re not here for it.”

Elected officials at Friday’s rally, including Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblymemebrs Zohran Mamdani, Cathy Nolan and Brian Barnwell, and City Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán and Julie Won, said they were most incensed by the lack of communication between the DOE and the local school community.

Gianaris, who serves as the Senate’s deputy majority leader, said that he thought it was odd that the mayor would support Composto’s firing the same week he was asking state legislators to grant him continued mayoral control over the city’s school system.

“Things like this, they don't make the best case for continuing mayoral control,” Gianaris said. “What people are concerned about is that the local communities and parents and CECs don't have enough to say in the process, but they just did something dramatic without consulting any of those people.”

“In some sense, I'm glad they did this before we get to vote on mayoral control so we can actually be aware of the way they're going to operate,” he added. “I would not vote for [mayoral control] as is.”

Nolan, who is not running for reelection after serving in the Assembly for four decades, called the day a “bad day to be a parent in New York City.”

“I just want to point out that mayoral control was not meant to exclude the voices of parents and this situation is an example of how important authentic community engagement is,” Nolan said. “Dr. Composto has met that test — he is an authentically engaged superintendent who enjoys massive support in this district.”

Toussaint said that she’s enjoyed her working relationship with Composto, who she said always made himself available when parents in the area had concerns.

Dr. Philip Composto, the superintendent for District 30, was told that he would not be allowed to interview for his job, enraging local parents and elected officials who described the educator as well-liked. Photo via NYC Kids Rise

“We were completely taken aback and disheartened that our veteran superintendent... has not been included [in the next round of interviews],” Toussaint said, highlighting his “innovative” work in the community, including NYC Kids Rise.

The program to set elementary school students up with a college savings account was piloted in the district and is now citywide.

During a press conference to celebrate the program’s expansion Friday, Mayor Eric Adams commended Chancellor David Banks and said he was “blown away at how many CECs [Banks] attends, how he looks at the numbers of the districts,” and defended the decision to cut Composto loose.

“[Banks] is reforming a school system that has been dysfunctional and has been broken for so long and one thing he must do is put in place his generals that are going to be in charge of school districts to support principles,” Adams said. “He has put in place a system that will do it in tiers — I think the system he put in place is exactly what we called for parental involvement for community engagement.”

“That district, the number of students in that district is a large number; the number of parents who say they were not involved, how many are saying they will be involved in the next step?” Adams said.

Kelly Craig, another D30 CEC member and PS/IS 78 parent, described Composto as kind, patient and the most receptive person.

After learning about the DOE’s decision, Craig organized an impromptu Zoom meeting to discuss what could be done to bring the superintendent back.

“He is willing to meet you halfway on anything,” Craig said. “He is the antithesis of polarizing.”

Nearly every elected official in attendance Friday said they had reached out to the DOE about Composto’s firing. They received mixed levels of responsiveness, they said.

“They’re not giving us information – we asked specifically why they made this choice and the best thing I got was, ‘The chancellor doesn’t share his vision,’” Gianaris said. “I said, ‘I don’t know what that means.’ No answer.”

Describing her mood as “livid,” Nolan said she’s gotten no response from the DOE or from Banks, who she said she’s known for years.

“I've been asking for a phone call back for three days,” Nolan said. “I'm not a diva, I know he's a busy man, but it's outrageous that they haven't spoken to us.”

“Mayoral control is not imperial control,” she added. “It's a collaboration with parents and if David Banks doesn't understand that, I'll be happy to explain it to him.”