#Carranza expands his DOE staff despite looming teacher shortage, layoffs

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NYC School Chancellor Richard Carranza
James Messerschmidt

Despite a budget crunch that threatens teacher layoffs and a “massive staff shortage” predicted by principals, Chancellor Richard Carranza is spending nearly a half-million dollars to beef up his highly-paid executive staff, The Post has learned.

The city Department of Education has added three women to the central administration in new roles — and given them big raises.

— Gabrielle Ramos, appointed Carranza’s deputy chief of staff, will make $181,750, up from $148,700 last year as first deputy in the office of student enrollment. She replaces David Hay, who was arrested in Wisconsin in January on charges he solicited sex from an undercover detective posing as a teen boy.

–Romie Barriere was named deputy chief strategy officer and will collect $168,000. She comes to the DOE from the city Administration for Children’s Services, where she was an associate commissioner for planning, policy and performance. She made $149,806 last year.

— Yvonne DelBanco will serve as a “senior adviser” with a $150,000 salary. Previously, she was a facilitator and coach on the Racial Equity Team, making $131,291.

The latest Tweed hiring spree comes as Mayor de Blasio forges ahead with plans to open schools on Sept. 10, despite overwhelming opposition from principals’ and teachers’ unions, parent leaders and elected officials pressing for a delay to give more time to prepare.

Hizzoner is also warning that steep budget cuts could result in layoffs of up to 22,000 city workers, including teachers. But his wife, Chirlane McCray, has built a 14-member staff costing city taxpayers nearly $2 million a year for the first lady’s $1.25 billion mental health initiative ThriveNYC.

A  DOE insider is outraged by Carranza’s chutzpah, saying educators are living in fear for both their safety and their livelihoods.

“As we read and hear about the thousands of impending municipal layoffs, Chancellor Carranza continues to overstaff his team with external and internal new hires despite the hiring freeze. It is absurd and surreal. There is absolutely no accountability for this chancellor.”

Last year, the DOE employed 1,189 educrats making $125,000 to $262,000 a year, all with desk jobs at Tweed Courthouse or in borough offices, The Post found. Of those, 50 execs took home $200,000-plus — more than double the 21 at that salary level in fiscal year 2018.

On Friday, principals union President Mark Cannizzaro warned of a “massive staff shortage” if schools have to follow guidelines Carranza issued Wednesday night, requiring different teachers for in-person and remote instruction. With social distancing, a large class might require three teachers, two in-person and one online.

The new guidelines also allow remote class sizes to double the normal in-person size — up to 68 for high schools.

“It’s a recipe for disaster,” said Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters. “Classes that large will guarantee that only the most dedicated and advanced students will succeed.”

DOE spokeswoman Miranda Barbot defended the executive team, saying the three appointees “bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their new roles,” and all have worked in the DOE.

The positions were filled despite a DOE hiring freeze under a “COVID-19 exemption,” Barbot explained.

“We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and until we can return to full-time in-person education at an unknown future date, there will be an incredible amount of work to keep schools up and running in a safe and effective way,” she said.