NEW YORK – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and Council Member Tiffany Cabán have written to Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Education Chancellor David Banks urging them to retain Dr. Philip Composto as Superintendent of District 30. The western Queens elected officials learned yesterday that Dr. Composto has been asked to leave the position by the Department of Education on June 30.

“Dr. Composto is a capable administrator who has earned the respect families, students, and the community for his engaging leadership,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “He is the right person for that job, drawing on his years of experience and deep well of compassion for western Queens. I urge the city to keep him there so our schools can continue to grow and thrive.”

“In a district as diverse as ours, I have come to expect a broad spectrum of opinions when it comes to any one local issue. Yet, with Dr. Composto, I hear the same thing from principals, teachers, parents, and students across Astoria: appreciation,” said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. “Dr. Composto has served our children in one capacity or another for 40 years. He has been a critical source of support for our entire district throughout the pandemic, not to mention the decades prior. And yet, Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks’ response to that has been to summarily inform him that his application to continue leading our district was not even worthy of consideration in their final round of interviews. Not only do I and countless other Astorians vehemently oppose this decision, we find the manner in which it was done to be truly disrespectful.  Dr. Composto often asks: ‘how does this benefit all of our children?’ This decision by Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks simply does not.”

“Dr. Composto is an incredible asset to the District 30 school community and his four decades of service to our children and families has not gone unnoticed. Since news broke that he was asked to leave, there has been an outpouring of support from every corner of this district from parents, principals, school staff, labor leaders, and community members,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “I stand with them in demanding that Dr. Composto be allowed to continue serving as our schools Superintendent and urge the Department of Education to reconsider their hasty decision.”

Dr. Composto is a 40-plus year veteran of New York City schools, with much of that spent in western Queens. He has served as a teacher, trainer, principal and district administrator in various capacities. Additionally, he worked to implement a college tuition pilot program across District 30 before the program was expanded citywide by Mayor de Blasio and Mayor Adams.

The elected officials’ letter can be found online: https://bit.ly/3wtXDe0.

A petition, titled District 30 Supports Superintendent Composto, has also been started by concerned citizens, parents, and students in the district. All those interested in showing their support for Dr. Composto, may sign the petition online: https://bit.ly/39dHpOh.