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Although chancellor-appointee Cathleen Black’s transition from private citizen to public servant has officially begun, the Department of Education is still keeping her activities a secret.

Black’s school visits have drawn particular interest because she is starting her new job with very little experience in public education under her belt. Black has also given no formal interviews so far and little is known about her stances on policy questions.

Historically, the schools the chancellor visits also tend to signal what characteristics and practices the DOE is promoting.

In response to requests from several reporters, DOE spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said that she would release the name of schools the chancellor visits only after the school day ended. Today, Black visited two schools, P.S. 111 and P.S. 78 in Queens, Ravitz said this afternoon.

“Part of being chancellor is visiting schools and talking with principals, teachers and parents openly and candidly about what is happening in their school community,” Ravitz said. “Having TV cameras and reporters over your shoulder is often not conducive to such an open exchange. So there will be public visits and private visits.”

It’s an interesting stance for the city to take, given that part of the city’s legal argument for releasing teacher effectiveness scores is that public employees do not have an expectation of privacy.

A group of the city’s education beat reporters from four news outlets, including GothamSchools, are sending the following letter to Black, asking that the city not wait until after she has left a school to let reporters know she visited.

We’ll update when the city responds. In the meantime, if you hear that the incoming chancellor is visiting your school, send us an e-mail or let us know on Twitter. (more…)

We now know what classes Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s schools chancellor appointee Cathleen Black took in college, but how well she did in them remains a mystery.

Black took mainly English and theology classes as an undergraduate at Trinity College in the 1960s. She spent her junior year studying in Rome, learning to speak Italian and studying European and art history.

But Black’s academic record there is still unknown. The state education department released Black’s transcript today, but redacted her grades, citing privacy concerns. The city also declined to release Black’s grades.

At her all-girls Catholic high school in Chicago, Black has been described as a hard worker but not a standout student.

Outgoing chancellor Joel Klein’s grades were made public last week by the New York Times. Klein had a stellar academic record, though he did receive B’s in “Philosophy of Education” and “Guidance in Human Learning.”

Black’s transcript, with grades redacted, is below. (more…)