Ed. Chancellor David Banks Delivers State of Schools Address, Pays Tribute to Tony Bennett, “AI” & Power of Poetry

Embattled New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, 62, delivered his second annual State of our Schools address on Tuesday September 17.

The event, which took place at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, was highly anticipated both by concerned public school parents and others curious how the Big Apple’s boss educator would present himself amid the federal corruption investigations that have enveloped not just Mayor Eric Adams but—among numerous others— Chancellor Banks and his family also.

At around 5 a.m. on Wednesday September 4—the morning before the first day of the 2024-2025 public school calendar—FBI agents raided Banks’ home on W. 143rd Street in Harlem, a residence he shares with his partner, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

At the same time, FBI agents also raided the Queens home of the Chancellor’s brother Phillip B. Banks, ex-NYPD officer with a corruption-stained past who’s been Eric Adams’ Deputy Mayor for Public Safety since Hizzoner took office.

Days later, a third Banks brother, Terence—a former MTA official, Queens Community Board 13 member and businessman had his home raided as well. Terence Banks’ company, The Pearl Alliance, which described itself as a “values-driven government and community relations firm” took its website down after the raid, though their mission statement remains findable: “We foster strategic alliances among businesses, industry leaders, and government to enhance community engagement and support minority-owned business growth.”

While the Feds have been mum on exactly what they’re looking for, it’s widely supposed that Terence Banks—like James Caban, the twin brother of recently resigned NYPD Police Commissioner, Edward Caban—is the target of an influence peddling investigation. “These guys are selling access,” one veteran lobbyist told the New York Post, which also noted that Terence Banks is not a registered lobbyist.

Not that Chancellor Banks needed his ethics-challenged brothers to make himself the subject of intense public suspicion. To the contrary, even if he were an only child, he’d still have to face many questions about his leadership of the nation’s largest public school system.

Among the issues Banks faces: the lingering effects of the city’s highly restrictive COVID policies, which it maintained much longer than many other school systems; declining enrollment; opaque standards and accountability in the classroom; and a complaints about cronyism and self-enrichment, that critics say leaves both talented teachers and principals, as well as education-minded families, feeling at best neglected and at worst abused by DOE bureaucracy.

While none all these problems started with Chancellor Banks, his inability to notably improve them Is a common cause for discontent.

One issue that Banks’ alone does own since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, is the sharp rise of classroom antisemitism. Although he has made some stances in denouncing, many critics say he’s not always been aggressive enough.

So, given these highly unusual circumstances—some of his own making, some not— how did the Chancellor perform?

As far as appearances go, the trim and the well-tailored Banks looked good in a blue sports coat, white shirt, pink tie and a tasteful bracelet. Though his thin, high-pitched voice isn’t commanding, it’s excitable and Banks is a comfortable speaker who can project both warmth and wit that seems genuine. He’s a man who, upon first hearing, really seems to care, and whom one wants to succeed. How that apparent sincerity relates to his penchant for less-than-inspiring platitudes, promises and excuse making is another matter. Which Banks is real?

His address began where an opening music performance left off.

“Let’s give it up for the Frank Sinatra Chamber Singers and Musicians!” the MC-like Banks exclaimed to wild applause. “Thank you. I really want to thank them for their rendition of ‘Saturn’ by Stevie Wonder, which is really one of my all-time favorite songs.”

“We asked the students if they would perform that but we just asked them that two weeks ago—so all of what you saw just now, those young people put that together—together with their teachers, here in two weeks—given them another big round of applause!”

When the clapping ceased, the Chancellor introduced himself:

“I’m David Banks and I’m just trying to make it through life,” he said laughingly. “Are these kids unbelievable? From the mouths of babes.”

After this disarming start, Banks continued: “Please everybody, the person who gave me the ability to be here, and gave me the chance to be your chancellor, has just joined us, and I thank him for his leadership and his support of New York City public schools, our Mayor Eric Adams.” A fair amount of applause followed, then Banks went on.

“Thank you to Mayor Adams and all the other members of the administration who here today. But certainly a big, big shout out for my beloved, my sweetheart, the love of my life, first Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright,” to whom Banks then blew a hearty stage kiss.

The chancellor next thanked the elected officials present, including City Council Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph of Brooklyn, New York State Senator Leroy Comrie and State Assembly Member David Weprin, both of Queens, among others.

In what was the surprising but welcome highlight of Banks’ presentation, the Chancellor next praised the legendary jazz vocalist and Astoria native, Tony Bennett— a close friend of Sinatra’s who was born Anthony Benedetto in 1926 and died in July 2023.

“We couldn’t host an event at Frank Sinatra without also acknowledging all the contributions of the late, great Tony Bennett. You know, it was his vision that led to the creation of this school. And he didn’t just lend his name. When this school was created and the kids were in classes, I understand Tony Bennett was here on a regular basis, stopping in to classes and rehearsals and everything else.

Can you just imagine being in a music class and Tony Bennett drops in just to give you a little advice? So may he rest in peace but we’re really thrilled that his foundation is continuing his work and one of the people that was his greatest partner, side by side with it was his son, Danny Bennett. And Danny’s also joined us here today. Danny, thank you!”

From that high point, Banks meandered affably but sometimes maddeningly for another 45 minutes, extolling his administrations broad—but largely non-quantified achievements and goals. Most objectionably, he made an extended, idealized and disturbingly ill-informed paen to the potential power of “AI” in the school system with no mention of its serious flaws or its increasingly outrageous energy demands.

Whichever of Banks’ aides wrote this did the Chancellor no favors—unless these passages were written or rewritten by “AI” itself, in which case we’re all lost.

Banks closed his presentation with a poem by William Ernest Henley, “Invictus,” which he called “the poem of resilience,” one lauded by such esteemed Civil Rights figures like Congressman John Lewis and Nelson Mandela—no small feat for the work of an Englishman writing in 1875. Four verses long, it begins:

Out of the night that covers me

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance,

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Try rewriting that with “AI”!