Ousted Queens Superintendent Allowed To Advance After Outcry

ASTORIA, QUEENS — The city will allow a beloved Queens school superintendent to stay in consideration to keep his job, after news of his abrupt removal sparked outrage among families and elected officials last week.

Dr. Philip Composto, who has led the Western Queens district for 20 years, had failed to advance to the next round of the hiring process for his position. All 45 of the city's superintendents had been asked to reapply for their jobs, which Chancellor David Banks is planning to expand with new responsibilities for the next school year.

The news caused an uproar in District 30, as families and officials said they had been given no input into the decision, and remained unaware of who the other finalists for the job were.

"Parents are flabbergasted. Educators are beside themselves," an anonymous school supervisor in District 30 told Patch last week.

Now, backtracking on that decision, the Department of Education said Monday that it will host a series of town hall meetings for each district to give parents the chance to weigh in — with all current superintendents given a slot along with the other two or three finalists.

In District 30, the list of finalists now includes Composto, Erika Tobia,David Cintron and Rafael Alvarez, according to Queens Post.

The district's town hall meeting will be held 5 p.m. Friday. Members of the public can submit questions to be asked at the meeting by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Composto has served as superintendent of school District 30 since 2002, according to his LinkedIn page, making him responsible for dozens of schools across Astoria, Long Island City, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Sunnyside, Corona and East Elmhurst.

Related coverage: Surprise Ousting Of Western Queens School Superintendent Spurs Outrage