After signing on to a hastily drawn City Council resolution opposing Cathleen Black as the new School Chancellor, City Councilmember Dan Halloran realized he had made a mistake. He called it “a rush to judgment.”
With a school system still in crisis, it’s unfortunate that the kneejerk reaction of so many local officials was to shut the door on Black’s suitability to be the next School Chancellor, even before she was given a chance to be heard.
Shame on CDEC 26 chair Rob Coloras and Queens Civic Congress president Pat Dolan for jumping on the same opposition bandwagon. Their harsh reaction does a disservice to parents and students, who deserve prudent judgment and thoughtful consideration regarding such an important decision.
The school Chancellor’s number one priority must always be the city’s schoolchildren. The UFT’s number one priority will always be its union members. While most of the time these two interests coincide, they don’t always, which is why an independent Chancellor is essential. By jumping on the UFT bandwagon, CDEC 26 and the Queens Civic Congress failed to exercise the thoughtful consideration that is expected of them.
Bob Friedrich
Glen Oaks Village
