Melissa Aviles-Ramos named as new NYC Schools chancellor after David Banks' retirement
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The next New York City schools chancellor was officially announced as Melissa Aviles-Ramos at a Bronx school on Wednesday afternoon.
It comes after Chancellor David Banks announced on Tuesday he would retire at the end of the calendar year after nearly 40 years of public service to NYC schools.
The shakeup comes amid a flurry of investigations into Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
Aviles-Ramos will take over the reins from Banks starting Jan. 1 -- and she is no stranger to the city or the Adams administration.
Aviles-Ramos has worked with the Department of Education for two decades in several roles - from a classroom teacher all the way to deputy superintendent.
She even worked for Banks as his chief of staff before he appointed her to the position.
As Banks steps aside from the role he has held for nearly three years, a federal corruption investigation is underway that led to agents seize his devices, those of his partner First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, and his two brothers Deputy Mayor Philip Banks and Terence Banks.
Banks' departure is now added to a list of other high-ranking officials that have announced they will leave their post in the Adams administration.
That includes Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Adams' chief counsel Lisa Zornberg, and just this week Adams' health commissioner Ashwin Vasan announced he too would leave. There is no indication that Vasan is involved in any investigation.
Adams weighed in on the revolving door of exits.
"They come, they serve, they produce a great quality product, and then you go on," Adams said. "You know, being in government and being inundated constantly, it wears on you. And I think the right for people, when they finish the time they want to serve to do something else, that's excellent."
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