Editorial
Ms. Black’s tenure was far too short to judge her ability to do one of the hardest jobs in the city, but she had been in political trouble from the day she started, partly because she had no professional experience in education. Facing suspicious parents and community groups, she had a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Once, she joked at a public meeting that birth control was the solution to classroom overcrowding.
Missteps like that one, combined with growing discontent within the Education Department itself, made her position untenable. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg had himself to blame for this mess. He chose her through a process that was far too secretive and sudden and then overrode every objection to push her into the job.
On Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg made a sensible, solid choice by nominating Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to succeed her. Mr. Walcott will need approval from the state education commissioner, David Steiner, but that should not be a problem since he has been extensively involved in education and has master’s degrees in education and social work.
He has overseen the city Education Department for the Bloomberg administration for nearly a decade. He began his career as a kindergarten teacher in the 1970s, served on the New York City Board of Education during the 1990s and worked extensively on schooling issues for at-risk children as chief executive officer of the New York Urban League. He knows his way around the City Council and the State Legislature.
He also faces enormous challenges. He must quickly rebuild the Education Department’s leadership, which has been devastated by high-profile resignations. He faces a huge budget shortfall that will almost certainly require layoffs. At the same time, he must prepare the school system for the higher standards and curriculum revisions that were recently embraced by the state Board of Regents.
The Mess at the Top of New York’s Schools
Published: April 7, 2011
The New York City schools chancellor, Cathleen Black, acted in the best interest of the city’s schoolchildren on Thursday when she stepped down after 95 days on the job.
The Toughest Job Around
What Cathleen Black’s brief tenure says about running New York City’s schools.
Missteps like that one, combined with growing discontent within the Education Department itself, made her position untenable. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg had himself to blame for this mess. He chose her through a process that was far too secretive and sudden and then overrode every objection to push her into the job.
On Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg made a sensible, solid choice by nominating Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to succeed her. Mr. Walcott will need approval from the state education commissioner, David Steiner, but that should not be a problem since he has been extensively involved in education and has master’s degrees in education and social work.
He has overseen the city Education Department for the Bloomberg administration for nearly a decade. He began his career as a kindergarten teacher in the 1970s, served on the New York City Board of Education during the 1990s and worked extensively on schooling issues for at-risk children as chief executive officer of the New York Urban League. He knows his way around the City Council and the State Legislature.
He also faces enormous challenges. He must quickly rebuild the Education Department’s leadership, which has been devastated by high-profile resignations. He faces a huge budget shortfall that will almost certainly require layoffs. At the same time, he must prepare the school system for the higher standards and curriculum revisions that were recently embraced by the state Board of Regents.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário