Bed-Stuy School Districts Get New Superintendents: What To Know

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A citywide hiring blitz for superintendents will mean two new leaders in Bed-Stuy's school districts, city officials announced Monday.

New superintendents were chosen in both District 16 — which covers the eastern portion of the neighborhood — and District 13, which includes the western portion of Bed-Stuy, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Brooklyn Heights.

Monday's announcement comes after a months-long hiring process that included both new candidates and existing superintendents, who were asked to reapply for their jobs as Schools Chancellor David Banks plans to expand the responsibilities of the position for the next school year.

"These leaders are ready to embrace the expanded role of superintendent," Banks said Monday. "With this team of leaders, our future is bright."

In District 13, newly-hired superintendent Robin Davson will replace Kamar Samuels, who will move to the Upper West Side's District 3 in the hiring shuffle.

Davson was most recently an acting superintendent in District 5 in Harlem, where she also served as a deputy superintendent in the Manhattan district. She was previously a principal at Brooklyn Landmark Elementary School in Bed-Stuy for nine years, according to her LinkedIn page.

In District 16, existing superintendent Yolanda Martin will be replaced by Brendan Mims, a founding principal at M.S. 358 Magnet School for STEAM Exploration and Experiential Learning in Queens. Mims was chosen as the National Principal of the Year for 2022 by the Magnet Schools of America, according to his LinkedIn page.

The new superintendents were chosen after several Town Hall meetings that were scheduled when families and officials found out their superintendents seemed to be ousted without community input.