When District 23’s Community Education Council met in May, members felt they were taking a stance that was both necessary and perilous.
The panel — volunteer parents and community leaders dedicated to supporting local schools — was voting on a resolution declaring “No Confidence” in D23 Superintendent Dr. Khalek Kirkland and calling for his removal.
“It feels like a dictatorship that he’s running,” said CEC23 member Stefanie, who asked to be identified by first name only, “like he sees us as beneath him, and he’s a superintendent, so you can do whatever you want, and that’s not how it go. He don’t really care about District 23.”
The council began drafting the resolution in January. As revisions were made and evidence gathered, members became concerned about retaliation. By the May vote, two of the nine members abstained.
“Too many things were going on,” said CEC23 president Osariemen Elcock. “He was threatening to fire people, so some of the council members were kind of shaky. When we did pass in May, two abstained. They didn’t want to say yes or no because there were a lot of moving parts.”
Since its passage, little has changed in the district, which covers Ocean Hill, Brownsville and parts of East New York. Kirkland remained in his position after the school year ended and CEC election results were announced in June.
“I had hoped he would be gone by now,” said a former D23 staff member, identified by the initials G.F. “I don’t understand. He failed every superintendent evaluation.”
How it started
Kirkland became D23 superintendent in July 2022. According to the district’s website, he previously served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at Fort Greene’s M.S. 113 Roland Emmonds Learning Center, principal of the Boys Preparatory Charter School in the Bronx, and senior director of leadership for the Department of Education, responsible for hiring, mentoring and placing new principals.
The resolution says conflicts between Kirkland and CEC23 began during the 2022-23 school year and have continued.
It accuses Kirkland of unilaterally changing the English Language Arts curriculum without briefing or consulting the CEC; “failing to effectively communicate with the council and community;” cherry-picking data shared with parents; and inadequately handling parent concerns, leading some families to withdraw their children from the district, “thereby exacerbating under-enrollment issues.”
The resolution also alleges Kirkland failed to inform parents about a weapon found inside a school during summer school, and has not reported school safety lockdowns or similar incidents to the CEC.
CEC23 evaluated Kirkland at the end of each school year, Elcock said, and he failed each one, receiving repeated scores of “1” on a four-point scale. Those evaluations are sent to the schools chancellor.
“He’s not working with us,” said Molly, another CEC member. “We’re supposed to be teammates. The CEC talked to him and tried to be respectful, but he got pushy. It’s like, ‘my time or no time.’ He’s not pushing for us.”
In one instance, Stefanie said, Kirkland held a legislative breakfast separately from the CEC’s annual event and told principals and parent coordinators not to attend the council’s gathering.
“He knew we held legislation breakfasts together, and he did his own,” Stefanie said. “We found out when his flyer was posted and they advertise it. So, he tried to sabotage [ours].”
A letter obtained by Brooklyn Paper shows Elcock told Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos that Kirkland instructed school leaders not to communicate with the CEC, making it difficult for members to complete required school walkthroughs.
Members also said Kirkland threatened to dissolve the CEC — though state law requires one in each district.
“He really wants to dismantle CEC23 which is weird,” Stefanie said. “Because without CEC23 members, there is no superintendent, so that means he eliminated himself as well.”
According to the DOE’s website, superintendents and CECs are expected to work together on “educational programs and student progress.” The responsibilities of CECs are determined by New York State law.
The DOE, however, has signaled it wants to steer the relationship toward repair rather than removal.
“While the recent vote of no confidence reflects concerns held by some members, we continue to encourage mediation between leadership to support all parties,” DOE spokesperson Onika Richards said in a statement. “We look forward to starting the 2025-26 school year, remaining focused on the overall goal of supporting students and their families across all our school districts.”
Richards said there are no plans to dismantle CEC23.
‘Glitz and glam’
District 23 has long struggled academically, and some say it’s hard to tell if students are improving.
Both Molly and Stefanie alleged Kirkland tweaks math and ELA scores. Stefanie said a friend with access to the real scores told her attendance and testing data were being “recycled.”
“It makes no sense,” Molly said. “Our children need help, and 95% of the district is willing to fight for the kids. And this does not help the children at all.”
Elcock criticized Kirkland for inviting rappers Dr. Special Ed and Ace Clark to visit schools while students continue to struggle.
“You have the glitz and glam for social media,” she said. “No offense to these celebrities, but why are you having celebrities in your building when your children cannot read?”
Multiple CEC members said Kirkland has appointed unqualified staff and given little guidance on their roles.
“They didn’t understand their roles,” Elcock said, adding that the superintendent could then assign unrelated work.
G.F. said parent coordinators were told to sit in classrooms to report to parents what students were learning — a duty outside their role. They were also instructed to knock on students’ doors if absent, which G.F. said is prohibited.
Some coordinators have been fired, including one G.F. said was beloved and may have been targeted for knowing her job’s limits.
Stefanie claimed another staff member was fired under Kirkland’s orders for speaking out against charter schools. She also alleged he sent employees to harass principals he did not hire.
In a letter to Avilés-Ramos, a number of anonymous parents and staff accused Kirkland of mistreating parents.
“His dismissive and condescending manner has created an environment where parents feel unheard and disrespected,” the letter reads. “Issues that should be addressed with urgency and adherence to policy are instead overlooked or handled improperly.”
Elcock and G.F. further allege Kirkland fired a parent coordinator he believed authored the anonymous letters.
Parents and staff also raised concerns about principals Kirkland hired.
In another letter to the chancellor, they accused Gregory Jackson, principal of Brownsville Collaborative Middle School, of creating “a toxic, unsafe, and unstable environment for staff, students, and parents alike.”
The letter claims 60 staff members have been fired or resigned since Jackson’s arrival, while others were transferred but remained on the payroll. Some questioned the budget, alleging funds went toward “unnecessary” items while staff dealt with missing wages.
Jackson, arrested for DWI in May, has also been accused of inappropriate relationships with women inside the school.
“Several individuals have shared concerns,” the letter reads. “But are afraid to come forward due to fear of retaliation. These allegations reflect a culture of coercion and abuse of power.”
Election results and next steps
In June, CEC election results brought in four new member; the rest were re-elected for another two years. Elcock said some parents chose not to run because of Kirkland’s reputation.
David C. Bloomfield, a professor of education leadership, law and policy at Brooklyn College and The CUNY Graduate Center, questioned whether the resolution will stand with the new membership. Elcock, Stefanie and Molly said it will.
Bloomfield noted similarities with neighboring District 16, where Superintendent Brendan Mims was removed earlier this year after CEC complaints.
“If District 16 is any precedent, she should be listening to the CEC and terminating him and replacing him,” Bloomfield said of the chancellor.
Assembly Member Latrice Walker, whose represents the area, said she was “deeply concerned” about the dispute.
“I look forward to bringing the relevant parties together to reach an amicable solution that keeps the focus on educating our children,” she said. “The district’s June instructional report shows improvement in ELA and math scores in nearly every grade. All of us – community, students, staff, parents, and administrators – play a role in that success. It’s time to put everyone’s concerns on the table and move forward for the sake of our students.”
Elcock said the DOE’s Family and Community Empowerment division received the resolution but has not responded. She said she has been harassed by email and phone calls for speaking out.
G.F. no longer works for D23 and sends her children to schools outside the district.
Stefanie said she is dreading the new school year.
“I’m kind of scared,” she said. “We all are. I came from an orientation and meeting with other districts — a lot of them work as a true team with their superintendents. It’s this one with this district that’s given us a hard problem.”
Molly said she is disappointed in Kirkland’s leadership.
“I don’t know what changed him,” she said. “I feel Kirkland can be a great leader. He has to work with us. It’s a partnership. I feel he can be better at collaborating.”
Elcock said the city’s neglect of D23 has allowed problems to fester.
“I believe people don’t care,” she said. “We’re the dumping ground. This is the worst I’ve ever seen in D23 and I’ve been here for 17 years. D23 has always been underprivileged, overlooked. We’ve had issues and no one has gotten back to me. People are just here for a paycheck but they’re not here for change. We do have some good schools. But guess what? The corruption overshadows the goodness in D23.”
In response, DOE Deputy Press Secretary Chyann Tull said the agency remains committed to strengthening collaboration between district leadership and the council.
“Our Community Education Councils play a vital role in our public school system by elevating parent voice and advocating for student needs. We remain committed to fostering respectful, collaborative dialogue,” Tull told Brooklyn Paper. “We take all concerns seriously and will review the issues raised by the community, while continuing to support both the superintendent and CEC23 in rebuilding their relationship in the best interest of District 23’s students and families.”
Attempts to contact Kirkland and Jackson through the DOE were unsuccessful.
