David Banks promotes educrat under probe for selling conference tickets, merchandise in side hustle

The woman hired this week by school chancellor David Banks to replace an ousted top aide is under scrutiny by the city’s special commissioner of investigations for her sale of expensive lectures as well as books and online courses in an activity parallel, The Post learned.

Mitheresa Pate, former superintendent of District 23 in Ocean Hill, Brownsville and parts of East New York, has been named “interim executive leader” to replace Carolyne Quintana, the $241,000-a-year deputy that Banks dumped in a major shakeup.

Pate, 45, will lead a restructuring of the DOE’s teaching and learning division, which manages the Banks reading initiative.

Pate, who earned $206,130 a year before the promotion, last year started a for-profit company called ETAPS, for Executive Training and Professional Services.

“Take this exciting opportunity to take a journey as sisters in educational leadership,” the company urged as it charged $289.95 per ticket for a conference on “ultimate leadership” on Saturday, Jan. 20, in West Nyack. She has a similar conference planned for April 20.

Pate hosted an evening workshop Feb. 23 on “Loving While Leading,” charging $108.55 per ticket for an evening devoted to personal relationships, and an event Friday evening to launch his book, “To Hell with Work-Life Balance ”, for $124.56 per ticket. person.

Pate does not have a waiver from the city’s Conflict of Interest Board to manage an outside business, a COIB spokesperson said.

His appointment followed a complaint sent Jan. 24 to DOE Ethics Officer Samantha Biletsky alleging that Pate violated conflict rules by charging admission fees and other fees to city employees – and using her DOE title to benefit the company and herself.

Banks, Liz Vladeck, DOE general counsel, and Danika Rux, executive vice chancellor, were provided with copies of the complaint. It was also forwarded to SCI, which opened an investigation, records show.

“They have known for months. The judgment of whoever makes these decisions, as well as the DOE’s overall audit process, must be questioned,” said education activist Leonie Haimson.

The COIB instructions warn educators: “You may not have a second job that puts you in personal, written, or telephone contact with the DOE or any city employee. »

Yet photos posted on Linked-in show DOE teachers and principals among the attendees at Pate’s $289.95 per person conference in January.

Additionally, COIB rules state that “you may not use your official position in the DOE” to financially benefit an outside employer or yourself.

Pate links to “my website,” ETAPS, on his LinkedIn page, which also lists his experience at DOE. She cites an official DOE title describing herself as an ETAPS instructor.

“She has quite brazenly sold the services she is paid by taxpayers to provide as part of her day job, to DOE employees on weekends and evenings, at their own expense,” said a familiar veteran teacher with Pate’s activities.

The DOE gave its blessing to Pate’s business, saying she would benefit from unspecified “advice” from COIB, and defended her promotion.

“Dr. Mia Pate is a strong and experienced leader, and she is exactly the right leader to manage this reorganization,” said spokesperson Nathaniel Styer.

Styer would not say whether Pate would get a pay raise. She did not respond to a request for comment.

Pate’s sister, Tammy Pate, is also a director of the DOE, responsible for recruiting women- and minority-owned businesses to work in the city’s schools.

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