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School Board Tries To Block New Chancellor Appointment
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 15, 2010
Modified Nov 15, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 15, 2010
Modified Nov 15, 2010
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A lot of people have been complaining about new Schools Chancellor Cathie Black and her lack of experience in education, but now a school board member is actually trying to do something about it. Mayor Bloomberg plans to submit a waiver request to the New York State Department of Education because Black has no education experience, and Panel for Educational Policy member Patrick Sullivan is asking the state DOE to deny Bloomberg's requests. He wrote that her appointment was "simple cronyism," and believes the panel should review her case. Civil Rights lawyer Norman Siegel said, “Today we begin a people's campaign to say no, no to the waiver for Cathleen Black."
The United Federation of Teachers shares those sentiments, and President Michael Mulgrew is putting the blame squarely on Bloomberg. "This is not about Ms. Black," he told parents at a workshop on the school system. "I do not believe that anyone thought the mayor would speak to no one, hide it, keep it a secret, not consult any educational experts and then name someone with no qualifications to be the chancellor of the New York City school system."
Even if Bloomberg does get the waiver in, it may be tough to convince the state that Black has what it takes to run the city's schools. "To select a chancellor with no background in education is a daring leap of faith," Henry J. Stern, a civic advocate, told the Times. “It’s very difficult to make an argument on the merits, unless you take the position that what you need is an executive." However, never say never—Bloomberg did get it done for Klein.
Tagged
cathie black
mayor bloomberg
schools chancellor
teachers union
uft
Waiver
Jaya Saxena
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