Cathie Black resigned from her post as New York City Schools Chancellor on Thursday, April 7, after plummeting approval ratings and the recent loss of four of her deputy chancellors, as reported by The Daily News and New York Times web sites.
Critics berated Black, a former Heart magazine executive, for her lack of experience in the education field. She was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg three months ago when the previous chancellor, Joel Klein, resigned as well, according to published reports.
In a NY1/Marist poll of 772 residents released on Monday, she was approved by 17 percent of respondents. Out of them, 2 percent said she was doing an excellent job, while 15 percent believed she was doing a good one.
Black will be replaced by Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott, who has worked with the mayor on educational affairs.
The former chancellor required a waiver from state commissioner of education, David M. Steiner, to get around the prerequisites of the position, as requested by Bloomberg. The standard chancellor salary is $250,000, a Department of Education spokesperson said.
New York State law dictates that the chancellor for the city has the powers and duties of the superintendent of schools.
To serve as a superintendent, one must be eligible for a school district leadership certificate. To receive one, a candidate must be a graduate of a college or university approved by the state education commissioner and also complete 60 semester hours in graduate level courses.
Additionally, by the time of the chancellor’s appointment, the candidate must have completed three years of teaching experience “satisfactory to the commissioner in public or non-public schools.”
As of September 2007, state administrative code also mandates that those seeking a superintendent post must hold a master’s or higher degree from an institution approved by the department of education. Alternatively, the candidate can complete a state program specifically geared toward a certificate as a school district leader.
Cathie Black did not meet these extensive requirements, but Walcott comes closer with a master’s degree in education from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, according to his biography on the Office of the Mayor’s web site. He was also a kindergarten teacher for a time.
