Cathie Black visits Queens schools

One day after her well-publicized visit to a Bronx school, new Schools Chancellor Cathie Black was in western Queens visiting schools and talking with teachers, principals and students.
Black, along with Queens Assemblymember Catherine Nolan and City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer toured P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell and P.S. 78 Robert F. Wagner Jr. School in Long Island City.
“Making sure that all children are afforded every opportunity to learn and succeed in our public schools is priority number one and I expect to work with the incoming Chancellor to make that promise a reality,” Van Bramer said in a statement following the December 1 tour.
At each school, Black and the local political leaders visited classrooms and saw firsthand what the inside of the schools were like.
“I enjoyed meeting with Cathie Black; we were able to visit two Title 1 schools with excellent principals and terrific kids,” Nolan said in a statement. “I know that we will face some education challenges down the road but I appreciate the opportunity to meet with the new Chancellor. It was a good visit.”
After weeks of speculation and debate about whether Black should be the next city Schools Chancellor, the state Education Commissioner granted Black the waiver she needed for the position on Monday, November 29.