The resignation Monday evening of Buffalo Public School Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga has left many parent advocates in shock.
Mubenga's resignation falls just short of his one-year anniversary of being hired.
The school board has been facing a strenuous time after a board member recently resigned and an ongoing sexual harassment investigation.
"We got a lot of distractions caught up in a lot of crosscurrents, and we really, as a community, have to make sure that we help this board and this administration stay on track and focus on the best interests of our kids," Sam Radford, co-convenor for the Western New York Education Equity Task Force, said.
Jessica Bauer Walker, co-chair of the Community Health Worker Parent and Student Association, shared a similar sentiment about the distractions the school board is facing.
"We have poor outcomes for academics, behavior, attendance and a lot of other things," Walker said. "A lot of them are extremely inequitable, and our children don't have time for this. We need to figure out, as adults, how to put some of these things aside and really focus on our children and families."
In a statement released Monday night, BPS announced it appointed Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock as the interim superintendent.
"I like Dr. Ebony Bullock," Radford said. "I think she's a good interim. ... She knows this district. She's been in the cabinet, so she is experienced."
The board said it will not comment further.
