GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

A group of city parents, including State Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, has filed the second legal challenge to the appointment of publishing executive Cathie Black as schools chancellor.

Like the first lawsuit, which a Brooklyn parent filed last week, the challenge focuses on the waiver that State Education Commissioner David Steiner granted Black to exempt her from the education certification normally required for school district leaders.

Steiner granted Black the waiver on the condition that Black appoint a seasoned educator as Chief Academic Officer.

In today’s suit, lawyers Norman Siegel and Herbert Teitelbaum argue that the state law that says the commissioner may grant a waiver to candidates with experience that is “substantially equivalent” to the certification cannot be interpreted to also consider the qualifications of a deputy.

Many of the parents named as plaintiffs of the suit are members of the “Deny Waiver Coalition,” the group that has spearheaded the opposition to Black’s appointment. (more…)

The fight over mayoral control isn’t over, according to a stalwart group of activists who convened a meeting Saturday to plan how to increase local control of city schools.

Comptroller candidate John Liu and mayoral candidate Tony Avella joined an energized and sometimes raucous crowd of around 70 public school parents, teachers and advocates at the launch event for the Coalition for Public Education, held at the lower Manhattan headquarters of the municipal union District Council 37.

The coalition could be one legacy of this spring’s protracted debate over school governance. That debate was finally settled, at least for the next six years, when Gov. Paterson signed into law a new bill that continues a modified version of mayoral control. Vowing to keep the fight against mayoral control going into the new school year, coalition organizers announced rallies in four boroughs for the first day of school next week.

“The struggle continues on this battle,” said Esmeralda Simmons, director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. “Do not be fooled into thinking that because something has happened in Albany, there’s nothing else that can be done.” (more…)

Earlier this week, the New York Civil Liberties Union held a debate among the candidates for public advocate, moderated by Juan Gonzalez of the Daily News. Gonzalez quizzed the five candidates about mayoral control — the following are their responses (video courtesy of the NYCLU). Next Tuesday the organization is co-hosting a debate for the mayoral candidates.

Bill de Blasio said the issue is “very personal” for him, citing his children, who attend public schools, and his service on a school board. “I think we need profound reform of mayoral control,” he said, but did not go into specifics.

“I’m offended at any effort to reduce the democratic participation of parents in our school system. I believe there’s a way to do mayoral control right. I think there are virtues in the system if there is transparency, if there are clear checks and balances, if there is a forum for actual debate, if there is a role for communities and for local residents and for parents.” (more…)