Nicolai Vitti — DPSCD Superintendent Who Authorized PCA
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Position
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Nicolai Vitti, Ph.D. |
| Title | Superintendent, Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) |
| Relationship to Banks | Mentor — regular meetings on academic progress, legislation |
| Role | Authorized Purpose Charter Academy under DPSCD oversight |
| Authorization date | July 2025 |
| TCR 22-12 | Testified in support, wrote letter of recommendation |
TCR 22-12 Testimony (February 9, 2023)
Vitti testified under oath and wrote a support letter. He described Banks as:
- “Reflective, thoughtful, child-centric leader”
- Having “skills, character, and integrity required of a Michigan school administrator”
- Someone who “has taken responsibility for and learned from his past mistakes”
He planned to continue mentoring Banks after the certificate was issued.
What Happened Under His Watch
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| MacDowell math proficiency | Bottom 3% statewide |
| Revenue extracted by Purpose Group | $4,285,201 (72.67%) |
| PCA charter authorized by | DPSCD (Vitti’s district) |
| PCA authorized despite | Banks’s 8 felony convictions |
| $348,489 unaccounted | In public financial statements |
The Most Vulnerable Children
PCA was authorized to serve:
- Homeless children
- Chronically absent children
- Children in the juvenile justice system
Projected enrollment: 225 students, growing to 400.
These are the children with the fewest alternatives. Homeless kids who need stability. Kids in juvenile detention who need a path out. Chronically absent kids whose lives are already chaos. They got a school run by a man with 8 felony convictions who lives with a convicted drug offender — while 72.67% of their education funding flows through a sole-member LLC.
DPSCD gets paid ~$81,000/year to authorize this arrangement.
The Mentorship Gap
Vitti described Banks as “child-centric.” The schools produce:
- 3% math proficiency
- 72.67% of revenue flowing to a private LLC
- $348,489 unaccounted in public financial statements
- Children educated by a man who told police “I am a lawyer”
DPSCD Authorization Pipeline
DPSCD’s board includes Misha Stallworth West — stepdaughter of Nicole Wells-Stallworth (MacDowell Board President, wife of Thomas Stallworth III). The charter authorization for Banks’s schools passes through a board that includes the superintendent’s patron’s family member.
Questions for Investigation
- Board vote — Who on the DPSCD board voted to authorize PCA? Was Misha Stallworth West on the board at that time? If she voted yes, the pipeline is complete: Wells-Stallworth hires Banks at MacDowell → stepdaughter Misha authorizes PCA
- Background check — Did DPSCD verify Banks’ criminal record before authorization? Michigan charter law requires it
- J.D. verification — Did DPSCD verify Banks’ claimed law degree? He lists a J.D. from MSU Law not confirmed by bar records
- Conflict of interest — Did any board member with a social or financial relationship to Banks participate in the authorization decision?
- Enrollment data — Has PCA reached projected enrollment? What are the outcomes for these vulnerable children?
Verify
- DPSCD Superintendent: detroitk12.org
- DPSCD board meeting minutes: July 2025 charter authorization vote
- DPSCD charter authorization records for Purpose Charter Academy
- Michigan charter school law: background check requirements for charter operators
- DPSCD budget: authorization fee calculations
- TCR 22-12 hearing transcript (MOAHR records)
All sources: TCR 22-12 Final Decision (Aug 4, 2023), MDE FOIA, DPSCD charter authorization records, public school performance data, and board meeting minutes.