GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

breaking news

April 7, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Cathie Black out as schools chancellor

by Philissa Cramer, at 11:09 am

After a rocky 100 days as chancellor, Cathie Black is leaving the job today, Mayor Bloomberg is set to announce in minutes at a press conference at City Hall.

Black is being replaced by Dennis Walcott, a deputy mayor who has long played a prominent role in education issues. At Black’s public appearances during most of her brief tenure as chancellor, Walcott could almost always be found at her side, managing her interactions with the press and others. Walcott is a graduate of the city’s public schools.

The leadership change came as a surprise as Bloomberg had as recently as yesterday defended Black against low public opinion. But the departure of two top deputies this week dealt a crucial blow to her leadership.

A Marist poll earlier this week found that just 17 percent of New Yorkers approved of Black’s job performance. The lowest approval rating ever posted by her predecessor, Joel Klein, who announced his resignation in November, was 33 percent. A different poll last month found that 27 percent of New Yorkers approved of Bloomberg’s school policies, down from 54 percent 18 months earlier.

Print Print
  • didn’t bat an eyelash

    One word: inevitable.

  • bee

    If only the Bloomberg would follow suit. Good riddance!

  • Larry Littlefield

    So now it will be Walcott’s job to pay for the pension deal and gut the schools. Given that job, will he be any more popular? Particularly when ust about everyone — the Mayor, the UFT, the state legislature, all politicians seeking future union support for runs for higher office — has an incentive to not talk and if necessary lie about what is actually going on?

  • Jeff

    I wonder how the State Education Commissioner feels about this. After all it was hisobliation, which he refused to use, to stop this outrage. And BTW, just out of curiosity, does Walcott have the proper certification to be a School District Superintendent?

  • Jeff

    I wonder how the State Education Commissioner feels about this. After all it was hisobliation, which he refused to use, to stop this outrage. And BTW, just out of curiosity, does Walcott have the proper certification to be a School District Superintendent?

  • Tim

    Walcott is properly certified. And after the last three months, he is a veritable Jedi master of shielding someone from the media and general public–I hope we actually get to hear him speak today.

  • Tim

    Walcott is properly certified. And after the last three months, he is a veritable Jedi master of shielding someone from the media and general public–I hope we actually get to hear him speak today.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587795578 Jay Pegram
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587795578 Jay Pegram
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587795578 Jay Pegram

    @ Jeff…are you serious that you do not Know Dennis Walcott? That is a joke, right? Yes, his qulaifications meet the criterias that the teachers unions requested of Cathi Black. Master’s in Education. He was educated in the Public school system as well. He was a teacher. and he was responsible for the Department of education under the mayor with respect to construction and other issues..see below.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=587795578 Jay Pegram

    @ Jeff…are you serious that you do not Know Dennis Walcott? That is a joke, right? Yes, his qulaifications meet the criterias that the teachers unions requested of Cathi Black. Master’s in Education. He was educated in the Public school system as well. He was a teacher. and he was responsible for the Department of education under the mayor with respect to construction and other issues..see below.

  • Cheering

    +1

  • Pingback: Sources: Schools Chancellor Cathie Black To Be Replaced – NY1 « Top Stories &Laquo; News « crap.org.uk « We are all being fed Crap – News, Politicians and Administration.. have your say

  • NYCparent

    JANUARY 3, 2011
    Remainders: 2011 predictions include Cathie Black’s resignation
    by Philissa Cramer
    Cathie Black will be gone by Easter, predicts Mike Petrilli. (Flypaper) Black‘s management …

    Interestingly — you can’t get to this Flypaper page anymore!

  • Lynne Winderbaum

    Cathie Black drove deputy chancellors out of the Department of Education as if a poison gas had be released at Tweed. One can only imagine how intolerable working under this “world class manager” was, for so many top level people to jump ship. Our schools face tremendous challenges and he gave us a country club friend pulled from his address book. She was never qualified for this job and everyone but the mayor winced and knew that. I’m happy that Bloomberg’s legacy has been further tarnished. I’m not sure how long, if ever, the NYC schools will take to recover from the mayor’s ignorant, bull-headed efforts at “reform”.

  • snarly

    I liked this comment on the NYT story: “Bring in Michelle Rhee! She’ll raise the test scores in five days, or your money back! Of course, you’ll also have to provide erasers.”

  • bee

    ha ha ha!

  • Tim

    I was wrong . . . Bloomberg says that he needs a waiver. But with the bar having been set so low with the Black decision, he’ll almost certainly receive one. He has more educational experience and credentials than Klein did, at any rate.

  • Pingback: Sources: Schools Chancellor Cathie Black To Be Replaced – NY1 | Relevant News

  • cl_pixie

    Should we be any happier with Walcott?? Black may have been inept, but it was Walcott who was calling the shots.

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

    Fewer gaffes? Undoubtedly.
    Same policies? Undoubtedly.

  • old teach

    Now that the mayor knows he cannot fire the senior more expensive teachers as LIFO remains, he no longer needs a corporate pit bull to do the dirty work for him. This departure clearly indicates that there will be few if any layoffs, read between the lines on this one. Also, this is the danger of mayoral control when there are no checks and balances for decisions that are illogical and irresponsible. Another nail for the legacy of the accountable mayor.

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    IBM called. The authors of ARIS want their $3.3M investment (Black’s retirement goose) back.

  • John G

    Someone predicted this on his blog several weeks ago. It made it into the evening posting on GS and I remember commenting about how dumb of a prediction it was. Apologies whoever you are! You were right!
    That person also predicted a uft strike next fall. Hmmmm…

Tips, questions, feedback?

Contact us at .

Word from Our Sponsor

Follow GothamSchools

RSS
Subscribe to the daily email digest:

Chalk It Up

Recent Comments

20 comments so far today
View all comments »

RSS Feeds

Newsroom posts Community posts All GothamSchools content

Archives

May 2013
M T W T F S S
« Apr  
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Copyright Notice