Schools Chancellor David Banks has tapped the public schools’ point-person for responding to parent tensions as his next chief of staff.
Kenita Lloyd, deputy chancellor of family engagement and external affairs, will serve as Banks’ right-hand, the Education Department announced Wednesday. Her first day was set for July 15.
Last school year, Lloyd “led the charge” to develop and implement the public schools’ response to the Israel-Hamas war — including its messaging and strategy and an interfaith advisory council, according to a press release.
The deputy chancellor also oversaw the rollout of a controversial complaint process that allowed Banks to oust two school board members who they determined were “unfit to serve in those roles.” Among other responsibilities, Lloyd was tasked with informing parents of why they were facing disciplinary action. One of the parents is suing the Education Department in Brooklyn federal court to be reinstated.
Before Banks took the reins of the nation’s largest school district, Lloyd was the chief operations officer of the network of all-boys public schools that he founded to serve mostly students of color, Eagle Academy. In January 2022, she was immediately appointed to the chancellor’s cabinet.
The deputy chancellor also launched 2022’s quiet — and partial — rebrand of the “Department of Education” to the “New York City Public Schools.”
The chief of staff position has sat vacant since Banks’ former aide, Melissa Ramos, left the Education Department for Monroe College, where she is vice president of “College Readiness and Success,” in February, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Lloyd will continue to receive the same salary as in her previous role, a spokesperson confirmed. In 2023, Lloyd earned $240,340 as a deputy chancellor, according to SeeThroughNY, an analysis of payroll data.
“(Lloyd’s) deep knowledge of how this system and our communities work will provide my leadership team with the guidance and support it needs to pursue our critical priorities, and her vision and strategic outlook will continue to be a catalyst for change throughout this administration,” Banks said in a statement.
